Court rules on accused persons' protest in Ablekuma murder trial on July 13
Head teacher jailed for defiling two girls
Accra (Greater Accra) 10 July 2001
Mallam Ali Yussif Isa, former Youth and Sports Minister, on Monday denied that he stole 46,000 dollars meant as bonus for the senior national soccer team, the Black Stars, but said he would pay back the money.
He told the Fast Track Court that he did not fraudulently cause the loss of the money and he did not know how it got missing.
The former minister who was being led by his counsel, Mr Ambrose Dery in his evidence-in-chief, said he declared the intention to pay the money to the Commissioner of Police who interrogated him.
He said the missing money is for taxpayers hence it is his intention to refund it.
Mallam Isa, who is additionally charged with stealing, has pleaded not guilty to both charges and has been granted 500 million cedis bail with a surety to be justified.
The court is presided over by Justice Julius Ansah, an Appeal Court Judge, sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court Judge.
Answering questions under cross-examination by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr OSafo Sampong, Mallam Isa told the court that the first money he handled when he went to the ministry was his per diem for the Sudan trip.
When asked if he had accounted for 14 million cedis that he collected for official duties, he said he rather collected 12.9 million cedis.
Mallam Isa explained that Mr Dan Piimi, Chief Director, wrote to him to account for 12.9 million cedis imprest and said this was contained in his handing over notes to the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama.
He said when Mr. Piimi wrote to him, he went back to the Vice President and collected the explanation about how he used the money and sent to the Chief Director.
The former minister disagreed with Mr Sampong that he removed the money from the green suitcase before travelling to Sudan.
He said nobody advised him against putting the money in the bag. According to him, he did not fraudulently appropriate the money. Cross-examination continues on Tuesday.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 09 July 2001
An Accra High Court trying nine persons for murdering two policemen at Ablekuma will on Friday, July 13, give its ruling on a protest by two of the accused persons that the police used force in extracting statements from them.
The accused persons are Joseph Telewu, alias Terminator, Seth Ababio Kissergbi, alias Rasta, Nii Amo Dodoo, William Nii Muetteh Addo and Newland Awayevu.
The rest are Okyeame Darko Dodoo, Wisdom Awayevu, alias Kwasi Luga, Daniel Mills, alias Black or Fussy, and Yemo Odai, alias Joe Shanton. They have all pleaded not guilty and all, except Okyeame Dodoo, have been remanded in prison custody.
Constable Richard Owusu-Sekyere and Constable Jerry Wornoo were murdered in
November 1998 at Ablekuma where they had gone to erect pillars on a piece of land.
In the course of the trial, counsel for Telewu and Kissergbi, told the court presided over by Mrs Justice Beatrice Agyemang-Bempah that the police forced his clients to give statements.
Counsel contended that these statements were taken in the absence of independent witnesses, and asked the court not to admit them in evidence.
At the court's sitting on Friday, Kissergbi agreed with the prosecution during cross-examination that on January 2, 1999 he volunteered a statement to the police, but disagreed that it was taken in the presence of an independent witness.
Kissergbi said on January 13, the police subjected him to a severe beating at the CID headquarters before they took down a statement from him.
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Tepa (Ashanti Region) 09 July 2001
Albert Samuel Gyasi, 58, Head teacher of Tepa Anglican Primary School has been sentenced to seven years' imprisonment by a Tepa circuit court for defiling two school girls.
He pleaded not guilty.
Gyasi, who is also the Assemblyman for Boagya electoral area of Ahafo-Ano North District, will pay one million cedis to parents of each of the victims to defray cost of the medical expenses.
In default he will serve additional 10 years.
Passing sentence, the presiding judge, Mr Richard Kiya Hinidza said he decided to deal leniently with the accused because of his age but Gyasi said "you can do your work, give me more years, God will judge me innocent".
The prosecution told the court that Gyasi invited the two girls individually into his room and defiled them.
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