Tribunal grants bail to driver on remand for about one year
Accra (Greater Accra) 13 September 2001 - The Court of Appeal would on September 24 give its ruling in a case in which Victor Selormey, former Deputy Finance Minister has appealed against the Fast Track Court's (FTC) ruling not to allow a contract document and a CD-ROM to be tendered in his favour.
Counsel for the defence and prosecutions, concluded their submissions on Wednesday.
The FTC, presided over by Justice Sam G Baddoo, in August, this year, ruled that it would not allow any of the defence witnesses, except Selormey to tender in evidence some documents containing a contract signed between the accused and Leebda Company in the United States (US).
The contract, the defence had claimed, was in respect of a Court Computerisation Project awarded to the company owned by Dr Frederick Owusu Boadu, a Ghanaian consultant in the US.
Aggrieved by the ruling, Selormey appealed on the grounds that the court erred in law for disallowing any of his witnesses to tender the documents.
Counsel for Selormey, Johnny Quashie-Idun concluded his submissions and urged the court to find out as a fact that it was wrong for the trial court to make that ruling.
Mr Quashie-Idun said the defence witnesses testified that they had seen the contract document and Dr Boadu had demonstrated to them, how the CD-ROM operated.
It was, therefore, proper for the court to allow the witnesses to tender the documents, which his client claimed to be his defence.
Selormey is charged with two counts of conspiracy and fraudulently causing financial loss of 1.3 million dollars to the state. He has pleaded not guilty and is on a 1.5 billion cedis bail with two sureties to be justified.
Replying, Mr Anthony Gyambiby, a Principal State Attorney said it was the contention of the prosecution that there was no Court Computerisation Project for Selormey to cause the transfer of 1.3 million dollars to Dr Boadu.
Besides that Mr Gyambiby said the Leebda Company never rendered any services to the government.
Selormey, therefore, has fraudulently caused financial loss to the state, and that was what he was charged with.
He submitted that the trial court was right in refusing the documents, purported to have contained the contract agreement and the CD-ROM to be tendered.
Mr Gyambiby contended that there was no evidence that the witnesses that the defence would want to tender the documents were part of the contract or had "personal knowledge" of the contents of the documents.
He said it would be against the law on evidence, if the court had allowed the witnesses to tender and testify about something, which they did not have the least knowledge about.
The Principal State Attorney said the court was right when it ruled that it was only Selormey and Dr Boadu, who were parties to the contract and the CD-ROM that could tender the documents.
Mr Gyambiby said the court suggested to the defence to recall Selormey into the box and tender the documents, but defence counsel refused.
He, therefore, urged the court to dismiss the appeal and order that the case be continued at the FTC.
GRi../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 September 2001 - A former employee of the defunct Bank for Housing and Construction, Nana Gyedu, who stole seven million cedis and said he used it to wed his wife was on Wednesday sentenced to three years' imprisonment with hard labour by a circuit tribunal in Accra.
Gyedu, convicted on his own plea, took the money on behalf of the Managing Director of Postin Distribution Agency after the agency had supplied stationery to the Ghana Shippers Council and Meteorological Services Department.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Joseph K. Abraham told the tribunal chaired by Mrs Elizabeth Anderson Yebuah that between 1998 and 2000, the agency supplied stationery to the Ghana Shippers Council and Meteorological Service Department.
However, payment was not forthcoming so the Managing Director went to inquire from the two organisations and was informed that Gyedu his employee had collected the money.
Prosecution said when Gyedu was confronted he denied knowledge of it and the matter was reported to the Police.
However, during investigations he admitted having collected the money and using it to wed his wife.
Gyedu was given ample time to refund the money but absconded after he was granted bail. He was, however, re-arrested by the Police.
GRi../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 September 2001 - An Accra Regional Tribunal on Wednesday granted Zakari Abdulai, driver, charged with robbery, a bail in the sum of 100 million cedis with two sureties to be justified.
This followed a motion for bail moved on his behalf. The tribunal presided over by Justice Adu Gyamfi ordered the accused to report to the Police twice every month until the determination of the case.
Abdulai was arrested with two others in May 1999, on allegations of conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery and causing harm.
They were alleged to have robbed one Jones Nartey of his taxicab at Avenor Junction on January 8, 1999, and caused harm to him. Abdulai had been on remand at the Medium Security Prisons at Nsawam since September 18, 2000 without trial.
Asking for bail for him, Mr Hoeyi told the tribunal that the prolonged detention of Abdulai without trial had brought untold hardships to his family.
For instance, he said, the long absence of his client had forced his school-going children to drop out.
GRi../
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Bolgatanga (Upper East) 13 September 2001 - The police in Bolgatanga last weekend arrested five men, including three foreigners, suspected to belong to a motorcycle stealing syndicate that operate in the Upper East Region and neighbouring Burkina Faso.
Three of the suspects, Mamudu Amadu, Mohammed Dahame, and Mumuni Braimah, are Burkinabe nationals while Nsorbilla Adorebire and Patrick Abuga are from the region.
Police Inspector Thomas Agbanyo, Upper East Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) who briefed newsmen on the incident in Bolgatanga on Wednesday, said on September eight, a neighbourhood watchdog committee at Zaare near Bolgatanga, arrested Dahame for loitering suspiciously in the area.
The suspect was taken to the police station where he confessed during interrogation that he belonged to a stealing syndicate. He also gave names of his four colleagues to the police.
Following further investigations, the other four suspects were arrested. "They admitted the allegations made against them by suspect Mohammed Dahame," said the PRO.
When Abuga’s room was later searched, two metal cutters, which the police believed were being used in cutting the locks of motorcycles, were found.
The suspects have been put before the Bolgatanga circuit court and remanded in prison custody to reappear on September 17, 2001.
GRi../
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