Nana Konadu and Co freed
Gilbert Boyefio
16/01/2009
An Accra Fast Track High Court has left off the hook Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, a former first lady, and four others in the Carridem case, after the Attorney General's office had filed for a nolle prosequi.
Mrs. Rawlings and the others namely, Emmanuel Agbodo, former Executive Secretary of the Divestiture Implementation Committee, Thomas Benson Owusu, former DIC Accountant, Kwame Peprah, former Finance Minister and DIC Chairman as well as Fanny Sherry Ayittey, Director of Carridem Development Company Limited, were facing eight counts of conspiracy, causing loss to public property, dishonestly obtaining public property by false pretences, obtaining public property by false statement, conspiracy to utter forged documents and uttering forged documents.
In 2002, the Auditor-General, pursuant to Article 187(2) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 11 of the Audit Service Act 200 (Act 584), conducted a routine audit of the DIC.
In the course of the audit, the A-G discovered a lot of discrepancies in connection with the divestiture of the GIHOC Nsawam Cannery Limited, and so started investigation of the divestiture and that later led to the court action.
They all pleaded 'not guilty" to all the charges leveled against them, and were granted self-recognizance bail.
Yesterday when the case was called, the judge, Justice Edward Amoako Asante, informed the defendants that the A-G had filed a notice for withdrawal. However, there was no representative from the A-G's office to move the application.
Reacting to this new development, Tony Lithur, Counsel for Nana Konadu, Sherry Ayitey and Carridem, told the court that it was their understanding that when such a notice is filed the parties have to be in court formally for the case to be struck out.
On his part, Nana Ato Dadzie, Counsel for Kwame Peprah (the only accused person not in court yesterday), expressed dissatisfaction with the whole case. According to him, this matter should have not been brought to court in the first place. He said the decision of the A-G to withdraw the case had come a little late.
He noted that the accused persons had suffered unnecessary pressure both locally and internationally, that has had diverse effects on their relations and health. Both defence counsels indicated their intentions to request for compensation, had the case been a civil one.
But the judge pointed out to them that his hands were tied in the matter. "Counsel knows that my hands are tied in this matter. But if the two of you want to pursue this you can put your heads together and take the appropriate action later,” he emphasized.
Before exiting office on January 7 the government of President John Agyekum Kufuor decided to drop charges against the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.
The Attorney-General"s Department consequently filed a notice at the court to discontinue the trial of the former First Lady for her alleged involvement in the divestiture of the Nsawam Cannery. The notice was filed last week at the Registry of the Fast Track High Court.
16/01/2009
An Accra Fast Track High Court has left off the hook Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, a former first lady, and four others in the Carridem case, after the Attorney General's office had filed for a nolle prosequi.
Mrs. Rawlings and the others namely, Emmanuel Agbodo, former Executive Secretary of the Divestiture Implementation Committee, Thomas Benson Owusu, former DIC Accountant, Kwame Peprah, former Finance Minister and DIC Chairman as well as Fanny Sherry Ayittey, Director of Carridem Development Company Limited, were facing eight counts of conspiracy, causing loss to public property, dishonestly obtaining public property by false pretences, obtaining public property by false statement, conspiracy to utter forged documents and uttering forged documents.
In 2002, the Auditor-General, pursuant to Article 187(2) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 11 of the Audit Service Act 200 (Act 584), conducted a routine audit of the DIC.
In the course of the audit, the A-G discovered a lot of discrepancies in connection with the divestiture of the GIHOC Nsawam Cannery Limited, and so started investigation of the divestiture and that later led to the court action.
They all pleaded 'not guilty" to all the charges leveled against them, and were granted self-recognizance bail.
Yesterday when the case was called, the judge, Justice Edward Amoako Asante, informed the defendants that the A-G had filed a notice for withdrawal. However, there was no representative from the A-G's office to move the application.
Reacting to this new development, Tony Lithur, Counsel for Nana Konadu, Sherry Ayitey and Carridem, told the court that it was their understanding that when such a notice is filed the parties have to be in court formally for the case to be struck out.
On his part, Nana Ato Dadzie, Counsel for Kwame Peprah (the only accused person not in court yesterday), expressed dissatisfaction with the whole case. According to him, this matter should have not been brought to court in the first place. He said the decision of the A-G to withdraw the case had come a little late.
He noted that the accused persons had suffered unnecessary pressure both locally and internationally, that has had diverse effects on their relations and health. Both defence counsels indicated their intentions to request for compensation, had the case been a civil one.
But the judge pointed out to them that his hands were tied in the matter. "Counsel knows that my hands are tied in this matter. But if the two of you want to pursue this you can put your heads together and take the appropriate action later,” he emphasized.
Before exiting office on January 7 the government of President John Agyekum Kufuor decided to drop charges against the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.
The Attorney-General"s Department consequently filed a notice at the court to discontinue the trial of the former First Lady for her alleged involvement in the divestiture of the Nsawam Cannery. The notice was filed last week at the Registry of the Fast Track High Court.
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