GRi In Court 23-03-99

Court dismisses editors' application

Surveyor before tribunal for fraud

Two charged for illegally possessing firearms

Accra (Greater Accra) 23 March

 An Accra Circuit Court on Monday dismissed an application for stay of proceedings pending the determination of an interlocutory appeal in the case in which two editors are charged with publishing materials likely to injure the reputation of the Government.

The court presided over by Mr Victor Ofoe said the application has "no basis in law" and is not relevant to the case.

It therefore ruled that the case must proceed on April 27.

The editors, Kofi Coomson of the "Ghanaian Chronicle" and Eben Quarcoo, formerly of the "Free Press", filed the application following the dismissal of their earlier application calling on the court to abort the trial, because President Rawlings allegedly made public statements which, to them, were prejudicial to the trial.

Dissatisfied with the court's ruling, Coomson and Quarcoo appealed against the verdict and applied to the court to stay proceedings until the determination of the appeal.

Coomson and Quarcoo in 1996 published in their newspapers that the NDC government was dealing in drugs and intended to use the proceeds to purchase arms and ammunition to destabilise the country if it lost the 1996 general elections.

They have pleaded not guilty and are on 10 million cedis bail each.

In another development, the court dismissed a motion filed by Quarcoo for the abortion of his trial on a charge of criminal libel.

Quarcoo published that the First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, dealt in drugs and carried gold on unannounced trips abroad.

He filed the application on the grounds that President Rawlings on three occasions made public statements on the subject-matter of the trial and that those comments were prejudicial to his case.

In its ruling, the court said the applicant could not produce any evidence that the President's comments were prejudicial or could influence the court in its judgment.

It said Quarcoo's application could be valid only if his trial was by a jury and not in a situation of a single judge presiding over a court.

The court said the trial of offences under the Criminal Code, like the one under which Quarcoo is being tried, must be "executed to the fullest and under no condition should it be aborted".

It therefore refused the application and ordered that the trial must continue on April 27.

Accra (Greater Accra) 23 March  

Hurune Mantey, a surveyor/draughtsman, was on Monday arraigned before an Accra circuit tribunal charged with defrauding a trader of nine million cedis.

Mantey pleaded not guilty and was granted 12 million cedis bail to reappear on March 20.

Deputy Superintendent of police, Madam Jessie Nunoo told the tribunal that in March, 1996, Madam Memuna Adotei Allotey, a trader based in Canada, arrived home on holidays and was looking for a plot of land to buy.

Jessie was introduced to the accused, who assisted her to secure two plots of land at East Dome for which nine million cedis was paid to Hurune.

When Jessie began developing the land, she was challenged by another person who claimed ownership to the land and destroyed the building she was putting up. When Jessie informed the accused who later allocated another plot of land OLA village, near Dome, to her but that one too was claimed by another person.

When Mantey was arrested from his hide-out, he asked for time to refund the money but he has since failed to do so, the prosecution said .

Accra (Greater Accra) 23 March

Kodwo Foli Gborbora,farmer, and Kary Telekpe, carpenter, on Monday appeared before an Accra circuit tribunal charged with possessing firearms and ammunition without authority.

They both pleaded not guilty and were remanded in custody to reappear on March 28.

The tribunal, chaired by Mrs Elizabeth Anderson Yeboah, heard that on March one, this year, military personnel at the Ghana/Togo border arrested the two accused among 13 suspects for an alleged arm robbery.

When the room of the two persons was searched, two rifles with 34 rounds of ammunition were retrieved. When questioned, they could not produce any covering document.