Selormey's witness fails to turn up, counsel to address court on Thursday
NDC withdraws suit on Sahara contract
Adisadel students granted bail
Accra (Greater Accra) 16 July 2001
A defence witness in the Court Computerisation case involving former Deputy Finance Minister Victor Selormey failed to show up on Monday and the judge told the prosecution and defence that they should be ready to address the court on Thursday, July 19.
The court adjourned at the instance of defence counsel, Mr Barimah Manu, who said the evidence of the witness, an official from the Ministry of Finance was vital, as the witness would produce the CD rooms to establish that some work was done in the Court Computerisation Project.
Mr Manu said the defence would do everything possible to enable the witness to appear at the next sitting.
The court, presided over by Justice Sam G. Baddoo, an Appeal Court Judge sitting as additional High Court Judge, said immediately after the defence closes its case, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr Osafo Sampong would begin his address.
Mr Manu and Mr Kwaku Baah are representing Selormey who is charged with conspiring with Dr Frederick Owusu Boadu, a Ghanaian consultant in the United States, to fraudulently cause the loss of 1.3 million dollars to the state and defrauding by false pretences.
He has pleaded not guilty and is on a 1.5 billion-cedi bail, with two sureties to be justified.
Hearing continues on Tuesday.
GRi../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 July 2001
An Accra High Court on Friday sentenced Alhaji Sheikh Shehu, alias Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) Jack Bebli and five others, to 15 years imprisonment each for their involvement in the 1999 Highway robbery of gold valued at 2.4 billion cedis.
The five others were Philip Asamoah, alias Agingo, Isaac Frimpong, alias Nii Baby Tei, Patrick Boakye Mprah, James Doli, and Kofi Bokor, alias Kofi Bebli.
RSM Bebli, Asamoah, Frimpong, Mprah, Doli and Bokor were jointly charged with conspiracy to commit crime. Frimpong Mprah and Bokor faced an additional charge of robbery while Asamoah and Bokor were further held for abetment of robbery.
Augustus Oko Odartey, who faced a charge of dishonestly receiving, was jailed for five years.
Mr Justice Richard Apaloo, the trial judge pronounced the judgment after the seven-member jury had returned its verdict of guilty against all the seven accused persons.
They have up to 30 days within which to appeal against their sentences.
Mr Justice Apaloo said the crime committed by the accused persons was the first in the country's history when a few men in their greed decided to reap where they had not sown.
"This robbery was planned to the minutest detail and executed with military precision."
A lesson, he said, must be transmitted to all others with similar inclinations that the law in this country was alive and that no group of people could hold this nation to ransom by armed robbery.
Mr Justice Apaloo said even though the least punishment for robbery in which no deaths occur is life imprisonment, "I shall not impose that, but shall impose such a sentence that an example will be made out of it by others of similar persuasions."
"The use of arms to steal is reprehensive and we must show our total abhorrence to such types of life," he said.
Before judgment was passed, the accused persons and their counsel pleaded with the court to be lenient with them since that was their first brush with the law.
In the case of RSM Bebli, Mr Justice Apaloo said in spite of his ill health, Bebli presided over all the meetings in connection with the robbery at his residence and he must suffer the punishment accordingly.
The court made several orders in respect of the various exhibits.
It ordered that all monies retrieved from the accused persons, made up of different currencies, be paid into the Consolidated Fund.
It ordered further that all gold recovered be given back to Amansie Resources, its owner.
The court also said all the 17 weapons and ammunition retrieved from RSM Bebli be given to the Police CID and the three vehicles used for the operation be confiscated to the state.
The court further directed that the seven million cedis lodged at the Abeka branch of the Standard bank by Frimpong be withdrawn and paid into the Consolidated Fund.
Security was so tight at the court premises that photojournalists had it tough in their attempt to take shots of the accused persons after the verdict.
A Graphic cameraman nearly had his camera seized by security personnel when he attempted to snap the accused persons before they could be whisked away.
During the trial, which started on February 20 this year, the prosecution called eight witnesses with Detective Inspector Hanson Gove as the principal prosecution witness.
The accused persons in February 1999 laid ambush at Abotsia Junction, near Apam, attacked a bullion van and robbed it of eight boxes of unrefined gold valued at 2.4 billion dollars.
Security personnel arrested Frimpong at the Elubo border as he attempted to travel outside the country with his share of the booty.
Upon interrogation, he mentioned the others as accomplices and they were also picked up.
GRi../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 July 2001
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) said on Friday that it has withdrawn the suit it instituted against the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice in respect of the controversial Sahara oil contract.
It said in a statement in Accra that the party maintains that the suit has generated wide public interest and it is "fully satisfied that more justice would be done to the Sahara Affair if it were left in the public domain than if it were moved into the courts."
The statement signed by Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Chairman of NDC's media committee, said the party believed the interest of the wider public would be served better than an early legal case, which would "serve to abate any further public discussions of the scandal."
"In order not to stall the interesting debates and discussions currently going on in the Sahara case, which are very revealing, it has been considered more beneficial to avoid a tussle now to allow for adequate public participation," the statement said.
GRi../
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Dodowa (Eastern Region) 16 July 2001
Fast Track courts are to established in all the regions to speed up trials without sacrificing quality as part of radical reforms in the criminal justice system, Nana Akuffo-Addo, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General said on Saturday.
"The mechanisation and computerisation of courts are necessary to enhance efficiency so that the judicial system can do its work assiduously to minimise delays and improve delivery of justice."
Nana Akuffo-Addo said this in speech read on his behalf by Mr. Osafo Sampong, Director of Public Prosecutions at the end of a two-week course for 50 senior Police Crime Officers drawn across the country at Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region.
The course, which is the first of its kind in the country, was supported by the government, US, Canada and United Kingdom embassies in Accra.
He said the government was determined to pursue the construction of a new Ghanaian society in which the rule of law and respect for human rights are central in all endeavours.
Nana Akuffo-Addo called for co-operation among organs in law enforcement, adding, " The various players in the criminal justice system must, from now work hand-in-in hand with common aims, aspirations and goals, and bring the old practices, where some of these players worked more or less independently of each other to an end."
The Sector Minister expressed satisfaction with the course contents, saying, " it will make you better agents for the protection of a free, open and democratic society."
He noted problems knotty problems faced by the police like handling of remand prisoners and said that his and other sector ministries are working hard to solve these problems.
He urged the officers to put into practice the knowledge they have acquired and share with their juniors by ensuring proper supervision, so that they can present proper dockets to the Attorney-General's office and the courts.
Nana Akuffo-Addo said that the government's policy of zero tolerance for corruption is an edict for public officers, including the Police, to shed their image as corrupt institutions that prey on poor citizens.
"It is not right for police to undertake arbitrary arrests and unlawful detentions, confuse civil issues with criminal cases, delay trials by not readily presenting witnesses of accused persons and exhibits to the court."
Ms. Gifty Anin Botwe, Commanding Officer of the Women and Juvenile Unit, who was the course president said the course has open the horizon of participants to establish the public as their number one stakeholder.
She appealed that recommendations made by participants to ensure efficiency would be taken in good faith and be adopted for the good of the country.
GRi../
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Cape Coast (Central Region) 16 July 2001
The four final year students of the Adisadel College facing provisional charges of unlawful entry and stealing 82 packets of 'thunder shot' cartridges, from the Central Regional Police Armoury were on Friday granted five million cedis bail each by a circuit court at Cape Coast.
They were Stephen Atsu Kudoto, Kwaw Afebi-Yanney, Donald Abili and Selikem Ahiadrzo, whose plea have not been taken and are to reappear on Tuesday August 28.
The court presided over by Mr Tom Bentil, which was packed to capacity with some people standing outside and craning to catch a glimpse of the students, directed that their parents should personally sign their bail bonds.
The court in addition ordered the boys to report to their Senior House Master at 07:00 hours and 18:00 hours daily until after their final examinations on August 24, after which they are to report to the Regional CID office on August 25.
Pleading for bail, Mr George Carson, a stand-in counsel for Afebi-Yanney and Abili, urged Mr Bentil to grant bail to his clients to enable them to write their final examinations, which begin on Tuesday July 17.
He expressed concern about the fact that the students were already being subjected to prejudices and undue publicity "telling the world that my clients are guilty although it has not been proven by the court".
The case of the Prosecution was that a fifth student of the college John Aboagye-Gyimah, now at large, and Kudoto broke into the Armoury of the Central Regional Police and stole the cartridges on the night of June 23.
It said the two then handed them over to Afebi-Yanney and Abili and the four travelled to Sunyani in a bid to find a prospective buyer and lodged at the Providence Hotel.
The Sunyani Police had a tip off and went to the hotel but Aboagye-Gyimah and Ahiadzro managed to escape while Abili and Afebi-Yanney were arrested and a search in their room led to the discovery of the cartridges and 350,000 cedis.
A wireless message was then sent to the Police in Cape Coast who went over to fetch the two boys who during interrogation mentioned the three others as their accomplices.
GRi../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 July 2001
An Estate Developer who collected more than 234 million cedis from 63 people, under the pretext of securing accommodation for them was on Friday arraigned before a circuit tribunal in Accra.
Christopher Nartey, 45, Managing Director of Chriska Estates Developing Venture, pleaded not guilty to defrauding by false pretences and issuing false cheques.
The tribunal chaired by Mr. Mohammed Nabon, admitted him to 300 million cedis bail with two sureties to be justified by a landed property. The case is rescheduled for July 23.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Elizabeth Alormatu said the accused, who lives at Kwashiman in Accra acquired a plot at North Kaneshie where he constructed six chamber and hall rooms.
He then collected various sums of moneys, totalling 234 million cedis from unsuspecting persons who needed accommodation, under the pretext of renting the rooms to them.
The prosecutor said the accused led all the complainants to inspect the rooms at different times and make their choices, but failed to allocate to them.
He later went into hiding until some of the victims found him and caused his arrest.
DSP Alormatu said during police investigation, it was found that Nartey had earlier issued out dud cheques to some of the complainants who had demanded their money.
GRi.../
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