Court orders impounded vehicles returned to applicants
Accra (Greater Accra) 06 October 2001 - An Accra High Court on Friday ruled that two Hyundai Galloper cross-country vehicles used by the "Mills for President" campaign team for the 2000 elections which have been impounded by the police should be released to Mr Antwi Gyamfi Director of LANATOP construction.
Justice John Kingsley Ebiassa upheld an ex-parte motion filed by Mr Gyamfi seeking relief from the court for the release of the vehicles which the police believe belong to the state.
However, Mr Gideon Aryeetey, Judicial Secretary said the ruling is "a default judgement which can be set aside".
He told the Ghana News Agency: "Since the defendants have not been served for assessment of damages the case can be heard again on its own merits."
A source at the Criminal Investigations Department {CID} of the Police on Thursday told the GNA that the department had begun investigating the ownership of the vehicles registered in the name of Africa Automobile Limited {AAL} but believed to belong to the state.
The police said the cars were found in a house at North Kaneshie and Osu upon a tip-off.
At North Kaneshie, Nana Brofo-hene, alias Nana Frimpong Danso of Dorma-Ahenkro, told the police that Mr. Antwi Gyamfi, 58, Director of LANATOP Construction, gave one of the cars to him in November 2000 to use to campaign for the former Vice-President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills.
When the police went to Mr Gyamfi's residence at Osu, they found the other vehicle.
Mr Gyamfi told the police that he was the National Organiser of the "Mills for President" campaign team and got the vehicles following appeals he made to his cousins and well-wishers in the United Kingdom.
Police investigations showed that although AAL handed over the cars to Mr Gyamfi, the company has no documents on the transaction.
Mr Gyamfi said he was only informed by AAL to come for the cars and he went to collect them. The cars were registered GW 325 W and GR 8781 R on April 25 and June 26, 2000 respectively, in the name of AAL.
The source said checks by the International Police Organization {INTERPOL} from the principals of AAL in London indicated that no such transactions had taken place there.
It said Mr Gyamfi has failed so far to prove his ownership.
GRi../
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Nkawie (Ashanti Region) 06 October 2001 - The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has won a case against Atwima District Assembly over the default in the payment of social security contributions.
Mr. Charles Yeboah, Atwima District Chief Executive said the assembly has therefore been ordered to pay its bill of eight million cedis to the Trust.
He was delivering his sessional address to the first ordinary meeting of the assembly, which was attended by assembly members, chiefs, directors and departmental heads of the assembly at Nkawie on Thursday.
He said over the last couple of months, the assembly has appeared before various courts of law for various acts of commissions or omissions.
The DCE told the meeting that the assembly's revenue mobilisation pick-up has been impounded following a judgement given in favour of a plaintiff whose taxi-cab was involved in an accident with the assembly's Toyota land cruiser.
Mr. Yeboah, however, stressed that the assembly has appealed against all the rulings by the courts.
GRi../
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