GRi In Court 16-02-99

Accra (Greater Accra), 16 Feb

Maxwell Sokpo, an accountant of Ghana Oil Company Limited (GOIL) yesterday appeared before an Accra circuit tribunal charged with conspiracy to steal and stealing more than 1.09 billion cedis belonging to his employers.

Sokpo who pleaded not guilty, was granted one billion cedis bail with two sureties to reappear on March two.

With him in the dock was Edem Aseye, a staff of the accounts office of the company, charged with the same offence. He also pleaded not guilty and was granted 50 million cedis bail to reappear on the same day.

Mr Charles L. Quist, the tribunal chairman ordered the two accused to report to the police every Monday until the case was disposed off.

Police Inspector Albert Akpey told the tribunal that Sokpo was in charge of banking services on behalf of the company while Aseye worked under him.

The prosecution said on October 20, 1998, Sokpo presented a cheque for 293.1 million cedis to the Agricultural Development Bank for an overdraft payable to "Matorso Trading Enterprise" which belongs to him.

The counter official detected that the signatories were fictitious and the matter was reported to the police for further investigations.

Police investigations revealed that the accused began the deal in June, 1996 through October, last year, and that he had succeeded in cashing a total of 1,099,783,802 cedis from the company's accounts.

When Aseye was also arrested , he admitted signing some of the cheques and had since collected 77.9 million cedis as his share.

Tamale (Northern Region), 16 Feb.

Forty-one year-old driver Abdul Rahman Ziblim standing trial at the Tamale community tribunal for murdering his wife was yesterday whisked away from the court premises by the police to save him from a mob attack.

It took the police a hectic time to control the hundreds of people who booed and jeered at the accused before he was driven away in a police van after being remanded for one week in prison custody to re-appear, on a provisional murder charge.

Ziblim was arrested three weeks ago for beating his 28 year-old pregnant wife, Fati Abdulaah to death. His plea was not taken.

The chairman of the tribunal, Mr Mohammed Nabon had earlier declined an application for the adjournment of the case by the police prosecutor Sergeant Ben Agbedanu on the grounds that the accused was sick.

The tribunal however agreed to the adjournment when Ziblim was produced in court and he confirmed that he had diarrhoea.

Mr Nabon said the case has attracted so much public attention that it was in the interest of the accused to be remanded in custody.

"You have become an object for people to gaze at due to what you have done", he told the accused.

Hohoe (Volta Region), 16 Feb.

A Hohoe district community tribunal yesterday remanded Innocent Kweku Doh alias Para, a farmer at Apesokubi in the Jasikan District in custody for allegedly murdering one Kwashie Dogbe at the weekend in a shooting incident.

The plea of Doh was not taken and he will re-appear before the tribunal on February 26, this year.

In another case, 15 people including Daniel Kofi Nyarko, an Assemblyman of the Jasikan District assembly, were also arraigned at the same tribunal charged with rioting with weapons.

They all pleaded not guilty and were remanded in custody to re- appear on February 19.

The District Superintendent of Police, Osei Kwojo Num-Ampofo, told the tribunal chaired by Mr George Addae that two persons died during the rioting which started at a funeral.

He said the police are still searching for a suspect who allegedly fired the gun and pleaded with the tribunal not to grant the accused persons bail.

However Mr Martin Agbekle-Zakli, counsel for the accused, arguing for bail said most of the accused persons are elders and farmers who are innocent of the charges brought against them.

He said their remand in custody would bring hardship to their families.

Accra (Greater Accra), 16 Feb.

 Daniel Otu, a prison officer, today appeared before an Accra Circuit Tribunal, charged with defilement of a female under 16 years.

Otu, 42, pleaded not guilty and was granted a 10 million-cedi bail with one surety to be justified. He would reappear on March seven.

Prosecuting, Mrs Margaret Ahiadeke, a State Attorney, told the tribunal chaired by Mrs Frances Owusu-Arhin that Otu and the victim's mother lives in the same prison barracks in Accra.

Mrs Ahiadeke said on June 10, 1997, the victim had gone to drink water from Otu's apartment when he called her and had sex with her.

The State Attorney said the victim bled so profusely after the incident that she was rushed to the Police Hospital where she was treated and discharged.

According to Mrs Ahiadeke, the hospital authorities also confirmed that the girl had been carnally known.