GRi in Court Ghana 25 - 04 - 2001
Three remanded for stealing 675.7 million
cedis
Omanhene refused bail on murder charge
Two jailed 12 months for causing damage
Former BOG manager gives evidence in
1.5-million dollar deal
Three remanded for stealing 675.7 million
cedis
Tema (Greater Accra) 25 April 2001
A Tema clearing agent and two accounts officers of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), were on Tuesday remanded in custody when they appeared at the Tema Circuit Tribunal, charged with stealing 675. 7 million cedis belonging to Unilever Ghana Limited.
They are: Sarfo Budu, a clearing agent of Sabasco Limited, Peter Tennyson Sallah, Account Supervisor and Michael Arthur Opoku, Account Clerk both of the GPHA.
Their pleas were not taken and were remanded in custody to re-appear on Tuesday, May 8.
The tribunal issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the fourth accused, Richard Amankwah Cudjoe, a Records Clerk of the GPHA, who is on the run.
Prosecuting Chief Inspector Edith Nutakor told the tribunal that on April 19, the GPHA detected the theft of 675.7 million cedis from its revenue office. The amount represents over payment made by its customer, Unilever.
Initial investigations showed that there were anomalies and fraudulent deals, which were hatched by Budu, who has been the clearing agent of Unilever from 1996 to date.
The Prosecutor said in 1999, Budu found a loophole in the accounts offices of the two institutions and started making fraudulent deals alongside genuine ones.
She explained that after Budu had gone through the process of goods clearing and taken delivery of Unilever's imports at the Port, a debit note was sent from GPHA to Unilever.
Upon the receipt of the note, Unilever issues a cheque to Budu, which he presented to GPHA.
When Budu gets to the GPHA Revenue office with the cheque to pay for the rent and handling charges specified, he would liaise with Sallah and Opoku to stand down the presentation for some days.
The Accounts men would then wait until other clearing agents have also come to effect payments in cash for their rent and handling charges and collect their cash to the tune of the same amount specified on the cheque.
Sallah and Opoku would then make the necessary entries in their books to cover the names of the individual clearing agents, who paid cash.
Thereafter, the cash delivery invoices in respect of the cheque are given out to the individual agents, whose monies were collected.
Budu then returns the debit note to Unilever and files it undetected.
Miss Nutakor said surprisingly, most of the deals were done on Saturdays when the bosses of the two institutions were not available and this continued until it was detected during a sample auditing by the auditors of Unilever.
GRi…/
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Omanhene refused bail on murder charge
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 25 April 2001
The Sunyani Community Tribunal on Tuesday rejected an application for bail by Professor Agyewodin Adu Gyamfi Ampem II, Omanhene of Achirensua and Chairman of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Council who is charged for murder.
The Omanhene is being tried for allegedly causing the death of one Nii Ato Quaye, 30 and injuring five others when he opened fire on a group of agitating youth at Achirensua on April 7.
The tribunal, chaired by Mr. Charles Adjei Wilson held that it does not have the jurisdiction to grant bail in the case.
Mr. Wilson said the law makes it clear that in murder cases, bail is not granted.
"The incident happened not long ago. Defence counsel cannot, therefore, complain about reasonable delay, so, the application for bail cannot be granted".
The prosecutor, police Inspector Akwasi Asafo Adjei, opposing bail, said police investigations could be jeopardised if it was granted.
Defence Counsel Mr F.K. Otu-Essel, argued that his client was attacked in his house by a mob who had earlier warned him that there would be a bloodshed.
Mr. Otu-Essel contended that in the circumstances his client fired a warning shot.
This did not deter the mob who rushed on the Omanhene, he said.
Counsel said taking a cue from similar incidents in other places where chiefs have been attacked and killed, his client had no option but to fire to defend himself.
"Though bail is not granted in murder cases, this is one of the exceptional cases where it was obvious that my client fired to defend himself from being killed by the mob", counsel submitted.
He said based on his client's report to the Regional Minister about the threat on his life and the state of insecurity in the town, the mob had been advised by the police, to stop their incessant attacks on him (the chief) but they did not budge.
Mr. Essel indicated his intention to pursue the application for bail at the High Court.
GRi…/
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Two jailed 12 months for causing damage
Accra (Greater Accra) 25 April 2001
A Circuit Tribunal in Accra on Tuesday sentenced two persons to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour, for assaulting a lady and two policemen.
Kofi Kusi, unemployed and Nicholas Manu, a student, pleaded guilty to assault, causing damage and harm.
The tribunal chaired by Mr Mohammed Nabon heard that both the complainant, Ms Abigail Afrifa Yamoah and the accused person live at Adenta.
Kusi and Manu who have a conflict with Ms Yamoah assaulted her junior sister, Sarah Afrifa Yamoah. She reported the incident to the police and two policemen, Corporal M.K. Donkor and Constable Osman Baba were detailed to arrest the accused persons.
The prosecution said in the course of the arrest, Kusi stabbed Constable Baba with a broken bottle and Manu attacked Corporal Donkor with an iron rod.
A taxi driver who took the two policemen to the scene, upon seeing what was happening, reported the matter to the police at the Adenta Barrier who arrested Kusi and Manu.
GRi…/
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Former BOG manager gives evidence in
1.5-million dollar deal
Accra (Greater Accra) 25 April 2001
Mr E. D. Donkoh, former head of the budgeting and account department of the Bank Of Ghana (BOG), on Tuesday told a regional tribunal in Accra that a fax message that he received from Chase Manhattan Bank was not normal.
Mr Donkoh explained that the fax was embossed with the cheque in question and he received it on April 6, 2000, whereas it was dated October 30, 2000.
He was giving evidence in a case in which Amina B. Abubakari-Sidiq alias Hajia Baby Ocansey, a trader, two former officials of the Bank of Ghana and a businessman are facing various charges for the honouring of a fake 1.5 million-dollar draft by the Central bank.
Ocansey, Sebastian Dick Kobla Nukpui Gavor, a banker, Justice Archibold Nee Ofosu Larbie, a banker and Alhaji Sidiq Gimala, a trader, are charged variously with conspiracy, causing financial loss to the state, stealing, possessing forged document and uttering forged document.
They all deny the charges.
Hajia Baby Ocansey was refused bail but the rest of the accused persons are on bail.
Led in evidence by Mr Anthony Gyimbiby, Principal State Attorney, Mr Donkoh said he observed further that the fax message was like a photocopy.
He told the tribunal that he informed Gavor, the second accused person, about his observations on the fax and Gavor advised him to check the source from the telex office of the BOG.
According to him, he reported back to Gavor that though he received the fax message, the source could not be traced in the register of the telex office.
It was at this stage that Gavor suggested that a report should be made to the management of BOG, but Gavor later said Ocansey had travelled to Mecca, Mr Donkoh added.
Witness said on April 6 2000, Gavor directed him to write to Ocansey that the cheque was referred to the drawer, so that she takes the necessary steps to refund the money.
After writing the letter, he signed in his capacity as the head of the budgeting and account department and gave it to Larbie who informed Gimala to collect it for Ocansey, because she had then travelled to Mecca.
Mr Donkoh admitted that it was the responsibility of the remittance unit of the BOG to deal with cheques of this nature, with respect to correspondence, but he went contrary to that under the instructions of Gavor.
He said he did not ask Gavor why he assigned him to do the correspondence instead of the remittance unit doing that.
Mr. Kwadjo Dodzoe, Counsel for Ocansey, asked Mr Donkoh to explain what he meant by "doing a messenger's work."
Mr. Donkoh explained that the role he played was not his official schedule.
Other counsel for the accused persons are Mr Charles Hayibor, Mr Ayikwei Otu and Mr Solomon Quandzie. The tribunal is chaired by Mr Isaac Douse.
Hearing continues on April 30.
GRi…/
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