Accra (Greater Accra) 25 June 2001
The Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) on Monday said it has sent a request to the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to ascertain the validity of the residence status of Albert Hamid Odinga, the Belize national arrested in a house near former President Jerry John Rawlings' residence early June, but has not had any response.
Chief Inspector Margaret Awuni pleading for more time said, "we hope to furnish the court with the necessary information as soon as the report is ready".
The tribunal chaired by Mrs Ivy Heward Mills adjourned the case to July 2, but asked the BNI to speed up its investigations.
Odinga, who is still in custody, is charged with communicating false reports injuring the reputation of the state.
His plea has not been taken.
Mr Wahid Bampuori Iddrisu, Counsel for the accused, repeated in his application for bail that the refusal to grant him bail was likely to be seen as punishment for the accused "for his association with certain political figures in the country."
He quoted the law which said, "a court shall refuse to grant bail in a case of treason, subversion, murder, robbery, hijacking, escape from lawful custody, piracy," and said Odinga has been charged with an offence under the criminal libel but this does not fall within that law.
Mr Iddrisu said although the charge falls under criminal libel, the prosecution has not been able to state where those rumours or reports have been published in the media that was likely to injure the reputation of the state.
He said for the period that his client has been in the custody of the BNI he has not had access to him "for proper counselling".
"We need bail for my client so that he can receive proper counselling in order to defend himself."
Mr Iddrusu said if his client was granted bail he would co-operate with the GIS and the BNI in their investigations and would not tamper with any of their work.
The prosecution said Odinga, a close friend of ex-President Rawlings, came to Ghana in 1979 but was deported in 1980 as an illegal immigrant.
He, however, returned in 1992 and was arrested following a tip-off that he was operating as a counter-intelligence agent.
GRi../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 25 June 2001
An Accra Circuit Tribunal has rescinded its order for a bench warrant for Tamara Botsio, Director of Tamara Restaurant, for failing to appear before it on Monday, June 18.
This followed an application filed by Mr D O Lamptey, counsel for the accused person for the tribunal to re-consider the order.
On Monday, June 18, the tribunal chaired by Mrs Elizabeth Anderson-Yebuah, ordered the arrest of Tamara when she failed to appear before it.
The accused person is being tried for stealing a gold wristwatch valued at 18,000 dollars, belonging to Mr George Chahine, her ex-lover. She has pleaded not guilty and is on a five-million-cedi bail with a surety.
Moving the application on behalf of counsel, Mr Kwamina Amponsa-Dadzie, an Accra legal practitioner, told the tribunal that originally the complainant informed Tamara that she was to appear before it on June 20 instead of June 18.
Mr Amponsa-Dadzie explained that as a result of this, Tamara absented herself when the case came up for hearing on June 18. The case has been adjourned to Wednesday, July 11.
GRi../
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Tarkwa (Western Region) 25 June 2001
A Tarkwa circuit court has sentenced Emmanuel Ampong, 34, to 18 months' imprisonment in hard labour for forging the signature of Ms Eugenia Gifty Kwofie, Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa-Nsuaem. Ampong, unemployed pleaded guilty to forgery.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to a second count of stealing and the court presided over by Mr Isaac Lartey-Young adjourned the case to July 2.
Police Inspector Joseph Kwame Anane, told the court that a year ago the accused, a businessman, sent an application from Church of Pentecost Tarkwa-Main, to the Goldfields Ghana Limited (GGL), requesting for scrap conveyor belt.
The mention of the church convinced the director of GGL to order the supply of 165 metres of conveyor belt free of charge to the accused. Inspector Anane said the accused diverted and sold the items for four million cedis.
He said Ampong, a member of Pentecost Church, again went with a similar letter requesting for conveyor belts and was supplied with another 30 metres and sold them for 500,000 cedis.
On June 1, this year, the accused submitted another application on a letterhead of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and forged the signature of Ms Kwofie.
This time the accused was requesting for 40 metres of the belt to be used for training NPP youth supporters at Agona-Wassa for manufacture of native sandals.
The prosecution said Ampong became upset and rained insults on the director and threatened to dismiss him for supplying 30 instead of the 40 metres.
When the GGL director reported the matter to the police, the accused was arrested and he confessed that he made the letterhead as well as a rubber stamp he used on the application and forged the MP's signature, the prosecution said.
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Bolgatanga (Upper East) 25 June 2001
A Bolgatanga circuit court presided by Mr S.A. Kuoro, on Thursday remanded Police Constable Clement Owusu Boateng in police custody over charges of forgery and alteration of documents.
Boateng, who pleaded not guilty, requested to be represented by counsel. He also requested to be allowed to speak in Twi instead of English the official medium of expression. He is to reappear on Monday June 25.
The court heard that the accused registered at the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to write an advanced level examination in 1999. His results were, however, cancelled due to alleged examination malpractice.
Prosecution said the accused later deleted the name from a results slip belonging to constable Shaibu Seidu of the regional tribunal at Bolgatanga and printed his own name on the document.
Then photocopied the results slip, which he presented for promotion. An official of WAEC at Bolgatanga detected the forgery and reported the case to the police.
GRi../
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