Benneh has a case to answer, Amidu tells court

Nigerian jailed for posing as public officer and priest

Accra (Greater Accra) 29 July ’99

An Accra Regional Tribunal will on October 22, give a ruling whether Frank Benneh, a former diplomat in Geneva, charged with dealing in narcotic drugs, should be asked to open his defence.

The tribunal, chaired by Mr Justice Wright Mensah, fixed the date, after Mr Martin Amidu, Deputy Attorney - General has completed his submissions.

Mr Amidu called on the tribunal to hold that a prima facie case has been established against Benneh.

In his submissions, Mr Amidu contended that, the prosecution called five witnesses and tendered a number of documents.

These documents demonstrate the circumstances under, which Benneh was arrested by the Swiss Police.

" The evidence and the law demonstrate that the accused did commit the offences with which he has been charged.

"They also demonstrate that on each of the counts we have adduced sufficient evidence that requires the accused to make his defence to the charge."

Mr Amidu said, the prosecution tendered evidence of Benneh's accomplices, as well as that of some officials at Ghana's Mission in Geneva, which "makes the complicity of the accused more convincing and requires an explanation from him by way of defence".

The Deputy Attorney - General asked the court to hold that sufficient evidence has been adduced to ground the charges and to call on Benneh to open his defence.

Two weeks ago, Mr Ray Kakraba-Quarshie, Counsel for Benneh, made a submission of "no case" for his client.

He said the prosecution failed to call "vital" witnesses from Geneva to testify to the guilt or innocence of the accused.

Counsel submitted that, at the end of the prosecution's case, none of the Swiss Police officers, who allegedly arrested Benneh with some other foreign nationals, dealing in cocaine was called to testify.

The tribunal ordered Benneh to report to its registry every two weeks until the date for the ruling.

Benneh is charged with five counts of dealing in cocaine, while he was at post in Geneva, in January 1996. He has pleaded not guilty and is on 10 million cedis bail.

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 Nigerian jailed for posing as public officer and priest

Accra (Greater Accra) 29 July ’99

An Accra Circuit Tribunal on Wednesday sentenced a Nigerian, who called himself Dr Emmanuel Ogum Umeh, and claimed to be a medical officer and a reverend minister to four years' imprisonment in hard labour for

impersonating as a public officer.

The accused, 33, was also charged with forgery of documents, possessing

forged documents and stealing. He pleaded not guilty.

The tribunal chaired by Mr Charles Nyewolema ordered that Umeh should be deported after serving the sentence.

The Tribunal heard that the accused is an unemployed Nigerian, who lives at Mataheko in Accra and claimed to be a reverend minister of the Catholic Church and a medical officer.

Umeh arrived in Ghana in 1996 and had no valid resident permit.

He started publishing books for commercial purposes and posed as a medical officer and treated patients in his room.

On May 12, last year, Umeh told the Police, when he was arrested

that he was a minister of the Catholic Church and a medical officer attached to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

When Umeh's room was searched, the Police found medical apparatus, prescription and excuse duty forms belonging to the Korle-Bu

Teaching Hospital.

There were also x-ray pictures, Ministry of Health request for laboratory

and memorandum forms.

The Police also retrieved a quantity of prescription forms belonging to various clinics in Accra and Tema.

When the accused was interrogated, he said apart from working at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, he was doing part-time job for those clinics.

According to the prosecution Umeh later produced his letters of appointment and recommendation from Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital as well as his result slips from the University of Nsukka, Nigeria, to support his claim.

The prosecution said further investigations revealed that though the forms

belonged to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, there was no record, which indicated that he was a medical officer at the hospital.

The authorities of Holy Spirit Cathedral also said Umeh was not a reverend minister.

The prosecution said the accused used the memorandum forms to write letters to solicit for alms and financial assistance.

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