Two testify in Selormey court case
Tribunal orders arrest of two persons for theft
Tribunal orders the arrest of Tamara
Accra
(Greater Accra) 19 June 2001
Two
witnesses on Monday gave evidence for the prosecution in a case in which the
former Deputy Minister of Finance, Victor Selormey, has been charged with
conspiracy, defrauding by false pretences and wilfully causing a financial loss
of 1.3 million dollars to the state.
Selormey
has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is on a 1.5 billion-cedi bail.
The first
prosecution witness, Mr Kafui Kan-Senaya, Principal Economic Officer of the
Ministry of Finance, told the Fast Track Court in Accra that a team from Texas,
United States, took part in a meeting preparing technical proposals for the
computerisation of the courts.
Witness
identified the team as Mr Morris Mila and Joe Howie from the Leebda Corporation
of Texas.
Mr
Kan-Senaya told the court, presided over by Mr Justice Sam G. Baddoo, an Appeal
Court judge sitting as an additional High Court Judge, that the Leebda team
tried to convince the government team to accept a proposal to produce the
digitalisation of computer materials.
Led in
evidence by Mr Osafo Sampong, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), witness
said the government's team rejected the proposal, so the Leebda team left for
the US.
Mr
Kan-Senaya denied that Leebda had put all Ghana Statutes, Acts, Decrees,
Executive Instruments, Legislative Instruments and West Africa Law Reports on
CD roms.
He said the
government was to supply computers on which the discs/CDs would be installed,
but up to date they have not been provided.
Mr
Kan-Senaya said during the negotiations, "we did not discuss proposals,
but financing of the project."
Witness
denied that on July 24, 1996, the Leebda team received a letter from the
Ministry of Finance asking the team to choose between the contract already
awarded to them or wait until a future date, where the issue of digitalisation
would be raised.
It is one
Mr. Paul Asamani who wrote the letter, he said adding, "I think he would
be the best person to answer."
Witness
said sometime in October last year, he learned from the Judicial Service where
he had gone to do some work that Leebda was asking for 500,000 dollars to
install the CD roms.
The second
prosecution witness, Mr Kwame Akaba, Operations Manager of the ECOBANK, said
the bank manages accounts of different types of clients, boards and some
ministries.
Mr Akaba
said in November 1998, the bank received authority letter from the Ministry of
Finance to transfer 432,500 US dollars to Leebda Corporation in Texas for the
attention of Dr Fredrick Owusu Boadu, adding that Selormey signed the letter.
Mr Akaba
said the bank then effected payment by swift transfer, which was dated December
8, 1998 to First American Bank of Texas for the account of Leebda Corporation.
According
to witness, the bank made a total transfer of 865,000 dollars by 17 instalments
depending on the availability of funds, as instructed by the Ministry of
Finance and signed by Selormey.
Mr Sampong
had earlier told the court a special audit report, which was conducted at the
Ministry of Finance, discovered that Selormey authorised that some sums of
money should be paid to Dr Boadu.
The DPP
said the audit covered the period from April 1997 to March 2001.
During
investigation, it was found out that the accused wrote letters to the ECOBANK
Ghana Limited, authorising the transfer of various sums of money, totalling
1,297,500 US dollars to Leebda Corporation of Texas, USA.
Mr Sampong
said these sums were meant for the payment of services purported to have been
rendered by Dr. Boadu in respect of the Court Computerisation Project.
Hearing
continues on Tuesday.
GRi…/
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 19 June 2001
An Accra
Circuit Tribunal chaired by Mr. Imoru Ziblim on Monday ordered the arrest of
Osei Kwabena, a car dealer, for failing to appear before it.
Kwabena is
charged with conspiracy and stealing.
The police
are also to arrest one Obolo, an accomplice, charged with the same offence, but
on the run.
Kwabena is
to appear on June 28.
The
tribunal heard that the complainant, Mr. Alex Odoi is a businessman and has a
mobile phone shop at Achimota, while Kwabena is a car dealer in Accra.
At about
16.00 hours on April 9 this year, Kwabena and Obolo who own a Daewoo Prince
private car, drove to Mr. Odoi's shop and collected six pieces of mobile
phones, valued at 9.9 million cedis under the pretext of buying them.
They then
persuaded Mr. Odoi and a witness in the case to follow them to Nima, Adenta and
New Achimota where they alleged the money was to be paid.
According
to the prosecution at about 10.00 hours on that same day, Kwabena and Obolo
bolted with the phones without the knowledge of Mr. Odoi and the witness.
A report was
made to the police and on April 13 this year, the accused persons were
arrested, but Obolo managed to escape. The police retrieved one of the phones
and three chargers from Kwabena.
The
prosecution said during investigations at the Vehicle Examination and License
Division, it was discovered that the accused persons have been using different
number plates for their car during operations.
The
registration number used at that time belonged to one Mr. Y.B. Kwekus, Hyundai
Elantra car at Domaa Ahenkro.
GRi…/
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 19 June 2001
A Circuit
Tribunal in Accra on Monday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Tamara
Botsio, Director of Tamara Restaurant for failing to appear before it.
Tamara,
once a sexy dancer, has pleaded not guilty to stealing a gold wristwatch valued
at 18,000 dollars belonging to ex-lover George Chahine.
She is on a
five million-cedi bail with one surety.
The
prosecution, Inspector Kawame Anneh said in 1992 Tamara, who was in a
relationship with Mr Chahine, got pregnant. She suggested to Mr Chahine that to
avoid complications in her pregnancy, she needed to examine herself at a
hospital in Switzerland.
Mr Chahine
agreed and gave her 10,000 dollars for her travelling expenses. He also gave
her a damaged golden wristwatch and an additional 5,000 dollars to repair it in
Zurich.
He said
when the accused returned she handed over a collection tag of the watch to Mr
Chahine. Later, a quarrel ensued between the accused and Mr Chahine.
When Mr
Chahine wanted to collect the watch from Zurich, it came to light that the
accused had collected it but failed to hand it over to him, the Prosecution
alleged.
Inspector
Anneh said all efforts to retrieve the watch have proved futile.
GRi…/
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