Ibrahim Adam says did not foresee any financial loss in Rice Project
Tribunal convicts Chief Executive for
assault
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 December 2001 - Ibrahim Adam, first accused person in the Quality Grain trial, on Thursday said he never thought that the government would incur any financial loss if it guaranteed loans for the Quality Grain Company to establish a rice project at Aveyime in the Volta Region.
He said he did not have any "misgivings" about the project because Ms Juliet Renee Woodard, Chief Executive of the company introduced a team of technical experts in rice production to him when he visited the United States (US) in 1992.
Adam, former Minister of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), was concluding his evidence-in-chief at the Fast Track Court (FTC) in a case in which he is charged with conspiring with four others to wilfully cause financial loss to the state.
Adam said while he was in office between 1993 and 1996, he introduced Ms Woodard to former Finance Minister, Kwame Peprah, the third accused, as a potential rice farmer and who had expressed her desire to invest in the country.
Led by his counsel, Mr Samuel Codjoe, Adam said he discussed with Peprah how the lady could get a foreign guarantee for loans, which she had arranged with the Exim Bank in the US.
Accused said the company obtained the government's guarantee for 7 million dollars as the first loan after an approval by Parliament. He said shortly after the approval of the loan he was appointed the Minister of Trade and Industry.
Adam said he was, therefore, not at (MOFA) when the additional 14 million dollars was approved for the Company. He denied that he conspired with any of the accused persons and repeated that all what he did for the company to establish the project was to implement a government's policy.
The other accused persons are, Dr Samuel Dapaah, Dr George Yankey and Nana Ato Dadzie, all former senior public officials. They have all pleaded not guilty and each of them is on a self-recognisance bail.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice Kwame Afreh adjourned proceedings to January 8, 2002 for the prosecution to cross-examine Adam.
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Tribunal convicts Chief Executive for
assault
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 20 December 2001- The Chief Executive of FOX FM Station, Mr Kwabena Poku was on Wednesday convicted for assault and asked to pay a fine of 150,000 cedis when he appeared before the Ashanti New Town Community Tribunal.
He pleaded guilty to the charge and the Tribunal chaired by Mr Owusu Afriyie cautioned Mr Poku to be of good behaviour.
He was charged with assaulting Mr Thomas Nsowah-Adjei, Ashanti Regional Secretary of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and a Correspondent of Radio Ghana in Kumasi.
The case of the prosecution was that on November 26 Mr Nsowah-Adjei went to FOX FM to visit some colleagues and on his return met Mr Poku at the gate of the station. Mr Poku then asked Mr Nsowah-Adjei what he wanted on his premises and before he could answer Mr Poku slapped him.
Mr Nsowah-Adjei then reported the case to the Zongo Police, who gave him a form to be sent to the hospital. Mr Poku in his defence said Mr Nsowah-Adjei was rude to him and that he only pushed him and did not know that the matter would escalate to that dimension.
In his ruling, Mr Afriyie told Mr Poku that as the Chief Executive of a Media house, he should have known better and acted with circumspection instead of taking the law into his own hands.
Mr Boniface Ablekpe, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA), said, even though, the association accepted the court's ruling, he described the fine as ridiculously low and said such a meagre fine would not deter others.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com