State Prosecutors have filed their remaining witness Statements in the case in which Alhaji Collins Dauda, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah both former Ministers of Water Resources, Works and Housing and three others are standing trial over the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project.
The two former Ministers together with the former Chief Director Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu, Andrew Clocanas, Executive Chairman of Construtora OAS Ghana Limited (4th Accused) and Nouvi Tetteh Angelo, Chief Executive Officer and owner of Ridge Management Solutions Ghana Limited, (5th Accused) are facing 70 charges.
The have all pleaded not guilty and have been granted bail.
They are said to have willfully caused financial loss to the state over the $200M sum approved for the project.
In court on Monday, June 12, 2023, State Prosecutors through Hilda Craig, a Principal State Attorney informed the court that, they have filed the complement of their witness Statements.
The accused persons and their lawyers were subsequently served with the copies in open court.
Justice Ernest Owusu-Dapaah, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, sitting with an additional responsibility as a High Court judge has adjourned the case to June 26 for defense to go through Witness statements filed by Prosecution.
All the accused persons were present except Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu, the third accused person who is unwell and had informed the court that his lawyer will represent him.
At the last court sitting on June 7, the former Chief Director Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu pleaded not guilty to 43 counts of willfully causing financial loss to the Republic and issuing of false certificates.
He has since asked the court presided over by Justice Ernest Owusu-Dapaah, a Justice of the Court of Appeal sitting as an additional High Court judge to proceed with the trial without him.
“I will allow my lawyer to stand in for me during the trial. So the trial should proceed without me – unquoted Alhaji Ziblim told the Court after activating Article 19(2)(f) of the 1992 Constitution.
Alhaji Yakubu, the third accused person has been charged together with four others including two former ministers – Alhaji Collins Dauda (1st Accused) and Dr Kweku Agyeman-Mensah (2nd Accused) were slapped with 70 charges in the Saglemi Affordable Housing case.
The other two accused persons are – Andrew Clocanas, Executive Chairman of Construtora OAS Ghana Limited (4th Accused) and Nouvi Tetteh Angelo, Chief Executive Officer and owner of Ridge Management Solutions Ghana Limited, (5th Accused).
The former Chief Director, said to have been struck by “mild stroke” and appeared in court in a Wheelchair after 48 hours summons on Monday, pleaded not guilty to a 36 combined charges with Alhaji Collins Dauda, Dr Agyeman-Mensah, Albert Clocanas and Nouvi Tetteh Angelo and seven separate charges.
In all, he respond to 43 charges which comprised of 25 counts of Willfully 25 causing financial loss and and 18 counts of Issuing of false certificate.
Before his appearance in court, his lawyers led by Godwin Kudzo Edudzie Tamakloe told the court that, following the amended charge sheet moved by the State on January 24, this year, Alhaji Yakubu had since suffered “mild stroke and cannot walk unsupported.”
Earlier Alhaji Collins Dauda, Dr. Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, also a former Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing; Andrew Clocanas, Executive Chairman of Construtora OAS Ghana Limited and Nouvi Tetteh Angelo, Chief Executive Officer and owner of Ridge Management Solutions Ghana Limited had denied their individual charges.
On Wednesday, June 7, Alhaji Yakubu and Alhaji Collins Dauda both denied one count of willfully causing financial loss to the Republic.
The former Chief Director and Dr Agyeman-Mensah also denied 18 counts of willfully causing financial loss while together with Andrew Clocanas pleaded not guilty to eight counts of issuing false certificate.
Together with Nouvi Tetteh Angelo, who is the fifth accused person, they pleaded not guilty to nine counts of issuing false certificates.
He separately denied six counts of willfully causing financial loss to the Republic and one count of of issuing false certificates.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Murtala Inusah
