Ocansey charged with stealing 1.5 million
dollars
28 arraigned in
court for murder of policeman
Ocansey charged with stealing 1.5 million
dollars
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 April 2001
A regional tribunal in Accra on Monday remanded in a BNI custody, Amina B. Abubakari-Sidiq, alias Baby Ocansey, who is accused of defrauding the Bank of Ghana of 1.5million dollars.
The tribunal chaired by Mr Isaac Douse ordered that three other people involved in a scandal in which a fake bank draft was honoured, should remain on their former bail.
Ocansey, 60, trader, Sabastian Dick Kobla Nukpui Gavor, a banker, Justice Archibold Nee Ofosu Larbie, a banker and Alhaji Sidiq Gimala, a trader, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit crime, causing financial loss to the state, stealing, possessing forged document and uttering forged documents.
The tribunal ordered that Ocansey should send her proposed sureties, documents covering her property on the next hearing on April 30, for consideration to be admitted to bail.
In application for bail for Ocansey, her counsel, Mr Kwame Dodzoe argued that his client is innocent.
He denied that Ocansey went into hiding, and said she is ready to face the trial and would not interfere with the prosecution when granted bail.
Mr. Anthony Gyambiby, Principal State Attorney who prosecuted, referred to section 96 of the Criminal Procedure Code and said it enjoins the chairman not to grant bail when satisfied that one may not appear to stand trial.
Mr Gyambiby opposed bail for the accused person because it appears she would not make herself available for trial in view of the gravity of the offence and its corresponding punishment.
He said he could not be sure if the defendant may commit suicide or any additional crime and wondered if the sureties are independent and are of good behaviour.
The prosecution said it has 10 witnesses to call in the case and listed one of them as Mr. E.D. Donkoh, who until June 30 last year, was the manager of budget and accounts department at the Bank Of Ghana (BOG).
Presenting the facts, Mr. Gyambiby said in October 1999, Gavor called Mr. Donkoh into his office and asked him to furnish Ocansey with the account number and address of the Ghana International Bank in London.
He said Ocansey later presented a bank draft purported to have been issued by Chase Manhattan Bank, dated November 5, 1999 with face value of 1.5 million dollars to Gavor to be cashed.
The prosecution said, thereupon Gavor instructed his secretary to send the bank draft for processing and payment.
Mr Gyambiby said the bank draft was made payable to S.D.K.N. Gavor account of Ghana International Bank, Cheapside, London. The maturity date on the draft was December 27, 1999 and was dispatched on November 26, 1999.
The prosecutor said the New York's City Bank confirmed by swift message, having credited 1.5 million dollars to the BOG, but with rules subject to the "governing and clearing."
According to him, on November 16, 1999 investigation revealed that Gavor asked one Djane of the banking department to use his IDD facility to confer with BOG to know the status of the draft with the City Bank.
He said the credit of the draft to BOG was confirmed and also the same day, there was fax confirming, but with repeated caution words subject to rules and regulations.
He said on the same day, Gavor met Larbie and told him that he had received a credit of 1.5 million dollars for his aunt and wanted cash payment. Gavor had earlier approached Mrs. Angelina Mensah of the banking department to process the payment, but she insisted to pay under instructions from Larbie.
The prosecutor said that contrary to the BOG's clearing period of five weeks needed for certification and approval of such transactions, the draft was prepared for payment.
Mr. Gyambiby said subsequently approval was given to the payment schedule, which was prepared by Mrs. Nyarko and Mrs. Kessie. The process went through, less one per cent (15,000 dollars) commission, which was paid to Ocansey and Gavor whose names appeared on the cheque.
He said after the payment, Ocansey took away 200,000 dollars, leaving the rest of the money in Gavor's safe.
After the payments were made, the BOG received debit advice from City Bank on January 19, 2000, that Ghana's account was debited with 1.5 million dollars and the cheque was marked "To maker" or refer to drawer.
The prosecutor said when the information reached Gavor, he gave an undertaking that he was going to contact Ocansey for the replacement of the cheque.
On February 6, 2000, Gimala who from the beginning of the transaction, introduced Ocansey to Gavor, sent a cheque replacement to Gavor for processing.
He said the draft was returned as fake and Gavor was confronted. Gavor then convened a meeting at which he informed Larbie and other bank officials that the cheque was returned as counterfeit.
He said at the meeting, Larbie and Gimala were present and Ocansey promised to refund the money in two weeks, but she failed to do so and went into hiding.
Mr Gyambiby said it was not until April 17, 2000, that Gavor informed management of the bank about the matter and all effort by the police to arrest Ocansey failed.
He said Ocansey was arrested on April 5 at her hideout at Madina Zongo in Accra. Investigation revealed that after cashing the money, Ocansey bought 120 million cedis house at Gbawe and therefore, moved from her former house at Abeka Lapaz.
Ocansey also gave 70,000 dollars to her boyfriend one Mr. Kwadwo Abaogye, while she gave 10,000 dollars to Gavor to be given to those who assisted her to cash the money.
The prosecutor said Ocansey gave 30,000 dollars to Gimala for the role he played. She also gave out 40,000 dollars to Ms Nafisah, her daughter, and bought five cars whose documents were transferred in the name of Ms Nafisah.
According to Mr. Gyambiby, Ocansey bought gold for 150,000 dollars and diamond for 350,000 dollars. She used the remaining money to invest in treasury bills.
GRi…/
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28 arraigned in
court for murder of policeman
Bolgatanga (Upper East) 24 April
2001
Twenty-eight people, including a
woman were on Friday arraigned before a Bolgatanga Circuit Court on a
provisional charge of murder of Police Inspector George Musah at Yameriga near
Tongo on March 26.
The accused persons, whose plea
was not taken, hail from Yameriga and Wuog neighbouring villages in the
Bolgatanga District.
They were granted five million
cedis bail with one surety each. In
addition they are to report to the police at Bolgatanga every five days until
May 4 when they will appear again.
The accused were first brought
before the court on April 12, and remanded in custody following the refusal of
the Presiding Judge, Mr S.A. Kuore, to grant a bail request made by defence
counsel, Mr John Ajet-Nasam.
At Friday's sitting, Mr Ajet-Nasam
renewed his application for bail, imploring the court to bear with his clients
who have been in detention since their arrest on March 28. The judge this time
obliged.
Mr Kuore explained that his
decision to release the accused persons on bail was grounded on the fact that
they had been held in custody for a long time.
Besides, considering the nature of
the case, it will take quite some time to complete investigations.
GRi…/
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