I saw two men dressed in military uniform-
Prosecution Witness
Former Ministers to pay difference in cars
I saw two men dressed in military uniform-
Prosecution Witness
Accra (Greater Accra), 01 March 2001
Emmanuel Wilson, second prosecution witness in the case of the highway robbery of gold bars, told an Accra High Court on Wednesday that he saw two men dressed in military uniform get out of a Peugeot caravan that crossed his vehicle.
Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) Jack Bebli and six others are facing trial for their involvement in the 1999 robbery.
Led in evidence by Mr Johannes Vegba, Assistant State Attorney, Wilson, a driver at West Coast Allied Services, a private company that was transporting the gold from Amansie to Accra, said he heard someone from the Peugeot shout at him to stop at Gomoa Abotsia Junction.
Witness said he sped off without complying but later saw that the company's two other vehicles were not in the convoy.
Presuming that the two men dressed in military uniform had bad intentions, witness said he drove to Apam and reported the matter to the police.
Before hearing was adjourned to Thursday, the presiding judge, Mr Justice Richard Apaloo, ordered that four of the seven accused persons, who are being kept at the Security Prison at Nsawam, be transferred to the James Fort Prisons.
They are Philip Asamoah, alias Agingo, Isaac Frimpong, alias Nii Baby Tei, Augustus Oko Odartey and Kofi Bokor, alias Kofi Bebli.
The order, he said, has become necessary because on two occasions, the prison authorities had failed to bring the accused persons to court due to a breakdown of the vehicle conveying them.
Mr Justice Apaloo expressed the hope that this arrangement will make it easier for the prison authorities to convey the accused persons to facilitate a speedy trial.
GRi…/
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Former Ministers to pay difference in cars
Accra (Greater Accra), 01 March 2001
An Accra High Court on Wednesday gave 18 former Ministers seven days within which to pay the difference between the price they paid for the vehicles they bought on leaving office and the official valuation.
Mrs Justice Georgina Woode, Judge of the Court of Appeal sitting as an additional High Court Judge who gave the order said those who cannot beat the deadline should return their cars to the Registrar of the court.
Accordingly, she adjourned the case to Thursday, March 8.
Last week, the court granted an application for an interim injunction filed by the former Ministers challenging the legal basis of a release by the government on January 24, this year, ordering them to pay the difference or surrender their vehicles.
The court, however, deferred till Wednesday, its decision on the time within which they were to comply with the order.
On January 24, the President directed that former government officials who have not settled fully the re-valued cost of their official cars, which were sold to them on leaving office, should surrender them to the State.
The former Ministers felt the President's order was unlawful because they had a contractual agreement with the State to buy the official vehicles at concessionary rates.
They therefore sought a perpetual injunction to restrain government from interfering with their ownership of the vehicles.
The Attorney General's Office countered by applying for an order to preserve and detain the vehicles until the final determination of the matter.
The former ministers again applied for an interim injunction, which the court granted last week.
Earlier, Mr Bram Larbi, counsel for the former Ministers informed the court that Mr Mike Gizo, former Minister of Tourism has declared his unwillingness to pursue the matter since he has fully paid for his car.
This reduces to 18 the number of Ministers who are contesting the case at the court.
GRi…/
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