Supreme Court rules on Selormey's application on Nov 21
Nigerian businessman for court over fake dollar notes
Public warned against acts of vandalism against public servants
Accra (Greater Accra) 07 November 2001-The Supreme Court on Tuesday fixed November 21 for ruling on an application filed by Victor Selormey, former Deputy Finance Minister, seeking an order to compel the Fast Track High Court (FTHC) to admit a CD ROM he wanted to tender into evidence.
The court presided over by Mr Justice Edward Kwame Wiredu, Acting Chief Justice, consequently gave counsel for the appellant five days within which to submit written submissions after which the State would use the same number of days to reply.
The other panel members of the Supreme Court were Mrs Justice Joyce Bamford Addo, Mr Justice A. K. B. Ampiah, Mr Justice A. D. K. Adjabeng, Mr Justice
William Atuguba, Miss Justice Sophia Akuffo and Mr Justice George Lamptey.
Before its decision, Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, drew the Supreme Court's attention to the fact that the crux of the matter before it, which was the admissibility into evidence or otherwise of the CD ROM, had been argued and re-argued in its entirety at the lower court.
The matter, he said, therefore, needed not to be dragged at the Supreme Court, and therefore petitioned the court to hear both sides and determine it within the shortest possible time.
Selormey is being tried at the FTHC for alleged financial impropriety on six counts of conspiracy, defrauding by false pretences and wilfully causing financial loss to the State.
He is alleged to have conspired with Dr Fred Owusu-Boadu, a Ghanaian consultant in the United States, to fraudulently cause the loss of 1,297,500 dollars to the State.
The former deputy Finance Minister had pleaded not guilty to the charges and Mr Justice Sam Baddoo, the trial judge, had admitted him to a bail in the sum of 1.5 billion cedis with two sureties to be justified.
Following the FTHC's refusal to admit the CD ROM into evidence, counsel for Selormey, Mr Johnny Quarshie-Idun and Barimah Manu appealed against the court's decision at the Court of Appeal.
Having had his appeal dismissed by the Court of Appeal, Selormey filed the present application at the Supreme Court praying it to order the FTHC to admit the CD ROM into evidence.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 November 2001-A Nigerian businessman, Mutarla Ali Murphy alleged to have chewed a fake 100 US dollar note in the presence of a Guest House receptionist and a taxi driver has been arrested and would be put before court soon.
A Police Chief Inspector stationed at the Achimota Police Station, Accra, who wants to remain anonymous told the GNA that the accused was arrested by a Police patrol team operating around the Greenwich Guest Lodge at Tantra Hill in Accra. She said Mutarla, who stays in Bukom in Accra, went to look for accommodation at the Greenwich Guest Lodge on October 25.
When the receptionist was taking Mutarla round the rooms he told her he had only dollars on him and, therefore, needed some cedis to pay off the taxi driver, who brought him and also to buy some items he needed to travel with.
The accused gave a 100 US dollar note to the receptionist and collected 600,000 cedis and left for town. The Chief Inspector said the receptionist later detected that the 100 US dollar note was fake.
Mutarla returned later in the evening and presented another fake 100-dollar note to be changed for him but the receptionist confronted him. Mutarla snatched the note from the receptionist chewed and swallowed it. The Police Patrol Team arrested him and took him to Achimota Police Station.
He admitted he gave the fake note to the receptionist but mentioned one Tony, a South African, as the owner of the fake notes. Mutarla could not tell Police where the said Tony resides. He would be put to court on November 13 on charges of defrauding by false pretences.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 November 2001-Parents and relatives of some people who vandalised the Achimota Police station a couple of days ago on Tuesday created chaos at the Cocoa Affairs Courts in Accra.
This was after a tribunal remanded the 31 adults in prison custody and ordered that 14 minors should be sent to a juvenile remand home in Accra. The relatives and the parents offended by the court's action, attacked and rained insults on the police, who fired twice into the air to disperse them.
All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to rescuing a person from lawful custody, rescuing goods from lawful custody and causing unlawful damage. They will reappear on November 15.
Prosecuting, Police Inspector Paul Frimpong told the tribunal chaired by Mrs Elizabeth Anderson Yebuah that on November 3, a Police officer on duty at the Achimota School road arrested three persons who were riding on an unregistered motorbike.
While the policeman was sending the suspects to the Achimota Police station, one of them escaped but the other two were detained.
The prosecution said sometime later, a mob including the accused persons vandalised the police station by damaging louver blades, counter gates and door glasses.
He said police reinforcement was called in and the accused persons were arrested at the premises of the police station but the others escaped.
GRi…/
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Public warned against acts of vandalism
against public servants
Winneba (Central Region) 07 November 2001-The Chairman of the Winneba Community Tribunal, Mr. Justice Emmanuel Wilson, has cautioned against acts of vandalism by people against public servants.
He gave the warning after imposing fines totalling 400,000 cedis on Helena Emma Ghansah, a seamstress and her sister Ernestina Amoah for assaulting Miss Justina Enninful, a Senior Nursing Officer at the Winneba Government Hospital. They pleaded not guilty.
Each of the accused persons will go to prison for two months with hard labour in default of the payment of the fine. They were also bonded for 12 months to be of good behaviour or go to prison for three months each with hard labour in default.
The accused persons assaulted Miss Enninful on October 27 after she cautioned their mother for breaking hospital regulations.
Mr Justice Wilson said government officials perform vital roles to promote public interest and they should be encouraged to give of their best.
He commended Capt. Stephen Armah (rtd) District Chief Executive for Ewutu-Effutu-Senya, Dr. Kweku Ghartey, Presiding Member of the district assembly and Mr Gui Siilo, District Co-ordinating Director for their intervention, which prevented a planned demonstration by health workers in the district in solidarity with their colleague.
GRi…/
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