Relatives attack priest after adjournment of case
Accra (Greater Accra) 04 July 2001
Mr Ambrose Dery, Defence Counsel for Mallam Ali Yusuf Isa, former Minister of Youth and Sports, on Tuesday said although his client admitted some responsibilities for the loss of 46,000 dollars given to him, he does not accept liability under the two charges, stealing and fraudulently causing the loss of the money.
He said: "We respect the ruling of the Fast Track High Court on June 28 this year to the effect that we open our defence even though we have a pending appeal in this matter before the Supreme Court."
"However we do not accept that it is right or proper to open our defence in the interim, pending the determination of our appeal by the Supreme Court, because there is a threat to my client's right to personal liberty and that a favourable determination of our appeal would be ineffective."
He made the statement as Isa, who is charged with two counts of stealing 46,000 dollars, opened his defence.
Isa, who is additionally charged with fraudulently causing financial loss to the state, has pleaded not guilty and has been granted 500 million cedis bail.
He is to report at the Police Headquarters three times a week until the determination of the case. The accused is also to deposit a land title deed to the registrar of the court.
The court is presided over by Justice Julius Ansah, an Appeal Court Judge sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court Judge.
Led in his evidence in chief by Mr Dery, the former minister told the court how he came by the 46,000 dollars.
Isa said on February 21, some executives of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) came to his office and told him that they were in a fix because the senior national soccer team, the Black Stars, were still at the airport. They also discussed the winning bonus.
He said he called the Chief of Staff on phone and discussed with him money to be sent to Sudan where the team was playing a World Cup qualifying match.
The accused said it was not his intention to travel with the team to Sudan, but Mr Walanyor Agrah, Executive Secretary of GFA and Mr Dan Piimi, Chief Director of GFA, came to his office to convince him to go with the team so that he could have first hand information about the players and the coach.
He said when he was appointed, some of the executives came to his office to ask him to dismiss the coach but he refused.
Isa said his diplomatic passport was issued to him on February 20, but there was no visa. Mr Piimi and Mr Agrah obtained the visa for him three days later.
According to him at about 1745 hours on February 23, Mr Tigah, Chief Accountant of GFA gave him 46,000 dollars at his office, while Mr Musah Alhassan, his police body guard were with him.
The accused said Mr Tigah came to his office with a polythene bag, which contained one white envelope and two brown envelopes.
He said one of the brown envelopes contained the 46,000 dollars meant for winning bonuses for the players while the other contained 8,600 dollars as imprest. The white envelope contained 1,043 dollars, which was his per diem. He said he signed a receipt to cover the various monies that he received.
After checking the money, "I was given the two brown envelopes without the white one.
Isa said when he put the 46,000 dollars and a copy of the receipt from the GFA in his green suitcase, Mr Alhassan, his body guard, Mr Agrah and Mr Alex Asante, Protocol Officer of the GFA were in the office
Isa said when he put the money in the bag Mr Agrah took it and gave it to the PRO. He said Mr Agrah created the impression that he was to travel first class.
He said he was briefed by someone to be very careful with the activities of the GFA staff since they were "dangerous."
According to him, he quickly asked his bodyguard to accompany the PRO to check in his luggage, but the guard returned to inform him that he did not see him.
As a result, he said, he called the then chairman of the GFA on phone and told him that he was looking for the PRO who was in possession of the money.
The former minister said he went to the airport at about 2030 hours where he met Mr Agrah and other executives of the GFA and he was ushered in to the VIP lounge to wait for the flight.
He said Mr Agrah called the PRO and collected his air ticket and gave it to him. Isa said on the plane, Mr Kwadwo Bonsu of the GFA tapped his back and spoke to him in Twi.
Isa said Mr. Bonsu, who showed to him two air tickets, told him that it has been the practice that he joined any GFA official that travelled abroad. He said Mr. Bonsu then sat by him until they disembarked in Amsterdam on February 24.
The former minister said they were told that they had a few hours in transit, but Bonsu told him that they should visit some of the shops.
He said Mr. Bonsu also showed him some documents which gave information about Sudan - major hotels, weather conditions and mosques - and them tendered them in evidence.
According to the accused, Mr. Bonsu purchased some scarves for him to be given to his (Isa's) wife.
Isa said when he arrived in Amsterdam his briefcase was with him, but the green suitcase was not in, so Mr. Bonsu took his ticket which bore the luggage number to check but they did not see it.
The accused person said in Frankfurt, a lady met him at the lounge and said he was to be escorted to the VIP lounge. Mr. Bonsu interrupted and quickly introduced himself as a minister's body guard and so did not allow the lady to send the accused to the VIP lounge.
The former minister said he had no option and so he followed Mr. Bonsu to his alleged brother in Frankfurt and together, the three of them joined a car and went into the city. He said it was his first visit to Frankfurt.
According to him, he purchased four pants and a pair of shoes in a shop at the cost of 479 marks, while Mr. Bonsu also purchased four pants and a singlet for him. He said the items were contained in a shopping bag and that Mr. Bonsu held the items.
Isa said he boarded KLM from Accra to Frankfurt and Lufthansa Airlines from Frankfurt to Sudan through Egypt. During the journey, he did not see the green suitcase.
He said in Sudan he was met by that country's minister of sports and when they were conversing Mr Bonsu appeared and introduced himself as the minister's bodyguard.
Isa said Mr Bonsu then collected his ticket to enable him to investigate from the airlines about the missing suitcase.
He said Mr Bonsu asked in a whisper if he had something important in his suitcase, and he replied that he had money in it.
The former minister said in Sudan he did not fill any form to declare any lost item.
Under cross-examination by Mr Osafo Sampong, Director of Public Prosecutions, Isa said it was on February 27 that he saw the form declaring the loss of items, which was filled by Mr. Bonsu.
The accused said Mr Bonsu told him that airlines do not accept liability for money lost.
He said because the green suitcase, which contained the 46,000 dollars and some personal effects got lost, the only dress on him was dirty. As a result, some of the GFA executives that he met in Sudan accompanied him to purchase some dresses.
He admitted that the suitcase arrived on February 28, but he had earlier been told that it was in London.
Isa said while he was waiting at the airport discussing the missing suitcase, Mr. Bonsu appeared smiling and brought the bag.
Hearing continues at 0900 hours on Thursday.
GRi…/
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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 04 July 2001
Police Inspector Benson Addo of the Central Police Station on Tuesday had to punch the abdomen of one Madam Akosua Addae, who was pulling his male organ before she released it.
Police Corporal Awo Dede of the Court Unit of the Kumasi Police also had her thumb bitten at the precincts of a circuit tribunal in Kumasi when relatives of a deceased woman attacked suspects standing trial for her murder.
The two police officers were trying to prevent the relatives of Madam Afua Tutuwaa from attacking the Reverend Ebenezer Adarkwa-Yiadom, Head Pastor of the Ebenezer Worship Centre at South Suntreso, Kumasi, who was standing trial for her murder.
Police Chief Inspector Kwasi Ofori of Ashanti Police Public Relations Unit said Madam Addae and Madam Akosua Afreh, another family member also involved in the attack on Rev Adarkwa-Yiadom, were immediately arrested.
He said soon after the tribunal chaired by Mr V. C. Senoo, adjourned the case in which Rev Adarkwa-Yiadom and Afia Akyaa and Kofi Boadi, both members of the church, are facing a murder charge to July 26, Rev Adarkwa-Yiadom left the court room and was about to enter his car when the relatives of Tutuwaa attacked him and the Police went to his rescue.
In the process, Chief Inspector Ofori said Madam Addae bit the thumb of Corporal Awo Dede and grabbed the male organ of Inspector Addo and was pulling it.
Rev Adarkwa-Yiadom, Akyaa and Boadi, are alleged to have manhandled Madam Tutuwaa, who was a member of the church resulting in her death.
However, a post-mortem report from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) indicated that Madam Tutuwaa died of severe anaemia and hepatitis.
They are on a 15 million cedis bail with one surety each.
Meanwhile, the tribunal has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Ohene Foster, a reporter of the "P and P" newspaper for failing to appear before it to answer questions in connection with the case pending before it.
GRi…/
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