GRi in Court Ghana 11
- 05 - 2001
Ocansey's surety arrested for deceit
Woodcarver jailed for stealing textbooks
Ocansey's surety arrested for
deceit
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 May 2001
A crowded regional tribunal in Accra became astonished when an
investigator, on Wednesday announced that Police have arrested Samuel Annan, a
proposed surety for Amina B. Abubakari Sidiq alias Hajia Baby Ocansey standing
trial in the 1.5-million dollar fraud case, for misinformation.
Police Inspector Eric Boateng told the tribunal chaired by Mr
Isaac Douse and his two panel members, Mr Robert Amoo Quashie and Mr Anthony
Kakrah that on the orders of the tribunal, investigations on the proposed
surety, with respect to his property, revealed that he told lies to the
tribunal.
Annan, is one of two persons, who appeared before the tribunal
on April 30 with the intent to stand surety for Baby Ocansey.
Inspector Boateng said the proposed surety said he has a
three-storey building with 30 rooms, a large poultry farm with an annual turn
over of 750 million cedis, but he did not have a bank account.
The Investigator said when Annan led him to Teshie-Nungua, they
met the caretaker of the building, which had 13 rooms and not 30.
The Caretaker said he has been living there for six years and
did not know Annan, saying one Lawrence Taifah, resident of Takoradi in the
Western Region, is the owner of the building.
Mr Taifah confirmed on telephone that he owned the house and did
not know Annan.
Inspector Boateng said at Oyarifa, a village on the Madina-
Aburi road, where the alleged poultry farm was sited, he saw a hencoop,
property of a teacher, Mr Francis Agbenyegah.
When the tribunal enquired about Annan, who was absent, the
investigator said papers on him were being processed to put him before court
for deceiving public officers.
Baby Ocansey told the tribunal that she did not know Annan, who
went to her children to demand a fee so that he would stand as a surety at the
last sitting.
The tribunal had earlier told Baby Ocansey that it wanted a
surety, worth over 1.5 million dollars and that it would consider a bail for
her at the next sitting should she find somebody.
Ocansey, Sabastian Dick Kobla Nukpui Gavor and Justice Archibold
Nee Ofosu Larbie, both employees of the Bank of Ghana and Alhaji Sidiq Gimala,
a businessman, are charged variously with conspiracy, causing financial loss to
the state, stealing, possessing forged document and uttering forged document.
The accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges and
three of them have been granted bail, except Ocansey, who is in Prison custody.
Mr Kwame Dodzoe, Counsel for Baby Ocansey, applied to withdraw
his representation from the case. Mr Solomon Adjetey replaces him.
Mr Dodzoe said he acted under instructions from his client.
The tribunal asked Baby Ocansey if she had paid her lawyer.
She responded that payment has been effected, but expressed
regret that Mr Dodzoe did not meet Mr Adjetey, to brief him on proceedings. Mr
Adjetey was absent from the tribunal.
Mr Anthony Gyimbiby, Principal State Attorney, prosecuting,
demanded to know from Mr Dodzoe if he was able to travel to Saudi Arabia and
America to conduct further investigation, because he sought for a long
adjournment to enable him to do so. The former counsel replied that he was not
in a position to do so.
The tribunal said it was not happy with the sudden withdrawal of
Mr Dodzoe and urged, "attorneys in
the case to attach seriousness to the trial at this crucial stage."
The tribunal adjourned for the accused to find counsel of her
own choice, warning that if by the next sitting on May 15 she had not found a
new counsel she would be asked to defend herself.
GRi…/
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Woodcarver jailed for stealing
textbooks
Nkawie (Ashanti Region) 11 May 2001
The Nkawie Community tribunal chaired by Mr Kwaku Dampare on Wednesday
sentenced Kwasi Mensah, a 28-year-old woodcarver from Atwima-Ofoase to 24
months’ imprisonment for stealing large quantities of textbooks belonging to
Nkorang Junior Secondary School (JSS). He pleaded guilty to stealing.
His accomplice, Kwasi Sarpong, a 30-year old bookseller in
Kumasi, charged with receiving the stolen items, pleaded not guilty and was
remanded in prison custody to re-appear on May 21.
Prosecuting, Police Inspector Ben Antwi said the headteacher of
Nkorang JSS on May 2 reported the theft to the police involving large
quantities of textbooks.
Investigations led to the arrest of Mensah, who admitted the
offence and led police to Kumasi where Sarpong was also arrested.
Inspector Antwi said a search on Sarpong led to the retrieval of
18 basic learners dictionary books with the school stamp on the cover.
Mensah, the prosecutor said later led the police to
Atwima-Ofoase, where a metal box containing large quantities of the books were
also retrieved from the bush.
Sentencing Mensah, Mr Dampare deplored the persistent stealing
of school textbooks and other items at Nkorang and the surrounding communities,
saying the increasing stealing of valuable school materials has affected
effective teaching and learning in the district.
Mr Dampare said the sentence would serve as deterrent to others
and warned that severer punishment would be meted out to any person brought
before him for a similar offence.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 11 May 2001
An Accra Circuit Tribunal has remanded in prison custody a
building contractor, who collected 1,200 pounds, 300 dollars and 650,000 cedis
form two persons resident abroad under the pretext of securing building plots
for them.
Isaac Agyekum, alias Owiredu, pleaded not guilty to defrauding
by false pretence. The case is rescheduled for May 16.
Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Emmanuel Y. Amega told the
tribunal chaired by Mr Mohammed Nabon that the two complainants, Mr Joseph
Asamoah and Mr Samuel Darko both American-based businessmen sent 300 dollars
and 1,200 pounds respectively to Agyekum in 1999 to purchase building plots for
them.
He said when the two complainants visited Ghana later that year,
Agyekum approached Mr Darko and told him that he needed some money to register
the land, which he had acquired for them. Mr Darko gave him additional 650,000
cedis.
Mr Amega said the accused person sent Mr Asamoah and Mr Darko to
inspect plots of land at Weija which he claimed he had bought for them.
Chief Inspector Amega said last year, Mr Asamoah and Mr Darko
started to develop the land, but some people who claimed ownership stopped
them.
He said on April 28 this year, at a meeting between the
complainants and the accused person, he agreed to refund the money.
However, while they were on their way to his sister's house for
the settlement, the accused person disappeared leaving his Nissan Pick-Up.
The prosecutor said accused person went to the Kwashieman Police
Station and made a report to the police that Mr Asamoah and Mr Darko had
attacked him with weapons and collected 7.2 million cedis from his vehicle.
However, Mr Asamoah and Mr Darko also drove the abandoned
pick-up to the Achimota School Police Station and lodged a complaint.
He added that when Agyekum was invited by the Achimota Police
for interrogation, it was revealed that there was no truth in Agyekum's
statement.
GRi…/
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