GRi In Court 22-03-99

Carpenter, 56, face defilement charge

Businessman charged with attempted fraud

Ex-Capt Owoo to be put before court

Accra (Greater Accra), 22 March 

Hunu Akakpo, a 56-year-old carpenter, on Thursday appeared before an Accra circuit tribunal charged with defiling a 10-year-old school girl.

Akakpo, who pleaded not guilty, was granted 20 million cedis bail to reappear on April seven.

Police chief Inspector Benedicta Akolgo told the tribunal, chaired by Mrs Elizabeth Yeboah, that the victim, a pupil of Dome Preparatory School, lives in the same vicinity with the accused.

The prosecution said in May, last year, while the victim was returning from school, the accused lured her into his room and defiled her.

The accused then gave the victim 200 cedis and warned her not to tell her parents about what had happened between them but the parents detected the offence and when confronted , she mentioned the name of the accused, who admitted and pleaded that the matter be settled at home.

Accra (Greater Accra), 22 March 

Two businessmen, on Friday appeared before an Accra circuit tribunal charged with attempting to defraud a colleague of 1,870 dollars.

Frank Ojukwu and Collins Nweke pleaded not guilty and they were granted ten million cedis bail each to reappear in April 23.

Police chief Inspector Benedicta Akolgo told the tribunal that on November 17, last year, the two accused approached one Maswuud in his house at Tesano and told him that they had a box containing "some dollars". They needed 1,870 dollars to buy a special chemical to turn them into "real US dollars".

Mr Maswuud, who became suspicious, rang a friend at Osu R.E. and he was advised to lure them to Osu with the box for the money.

When they arrived the friend, who had alerted the police, had them arrested.

Accra (Greater Accra), 22 March 

Captain James Owoo, an ex-officer of the Ghana Army who is allegedly linked with a plot to overthrow the government, will be put before court for treason as soon as possible, officials said on Sunday.

Capt Owoo was one of former military officers being sought in connection with a coup plot against the government in August 1994.

The former military captain was arrested two weeks ago in Sierra Leone and brought down to Ghana.

"He is likely to appear before court on Monday," the officials told the Ghana News Agency.

Four Ghanaians domiciled in Britain were tried and sentenced to death after an Accra high court found them guilty of the offence.