No show in court for 3 high-profile cases • Trial judge on leave

Thursday, October 22, 2009 (Page 3 Lead)

THREE high profile cases involving 10 personalities were today not heard at the Fast Track High Court because the trial judge is on leave.
The cases which involves a former Minister of Information, Stephen Asamoah-Boateng aka Asabee, his wife, Zuleika and six others over GH¢86,915.85 renovation works at the ministry as well as the former Managing Director of the National Investment Bank (NIB), Daniel Charles Gyimah, were adjourned to November 23, 2009.
A third case, which involves the Chief Executive of Exopa Modelling Agency, Sima Ibrahim, was adjourned for two weeks as required under the new High Court rules.
The rules stipulate that persons on remand must not be remanded for more than two weeks.
Sources said the trial judge, Mr Justice Charles Quist, who was hearing these cases during the vacation period as a vacation judge had taken his annual leave.
Sources said the judge was due to resume work in December 2009.
Asabee and his wife are standing trial with a former Deputy Information Minister, Frank Agyekum, Kofi Asamoah-Boateng, a former Director of Finance and Administration at the Ministry of Information; Kwabena Denkyira, a former Deputy Director of Finance and Administration at the ministry; Yasmin Domua, a manageress; Prosper Aku of Supreme Procurement Agency Ltd and the company as an entity.
They are facing various charges relating to conspiracy, attempt to commit criminal offence, to wit defrauding by false pretences, forgery of official documents, possession of forged documents, uttering of forged documents and deceit of public officers.
All the accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges and have been admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢ 10,000 with a surety.
Counsel for the former minister, denied that the contract did not follow the due process of law since the right procedures were adhered to.
In the case of the former NIB Boss, he (Gyimah) and the Managing Director of Eland International Ghana Limited, Arvind Kumar Bhartnagor have been jointly charged with conspiracy to defraud.
Other charges preferred against them are attempting to defraud the international banking community and three counts of forgery of documents including reports on goods under the control of the NIB for Eland.
In the third case, Ibrahim, was alleged to have attempted to export substances believed to be narcotic drugs.
Ibrahim, 39, was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport about 11 p.m. on September 7, 2009 while he was going through departure formalities to travel to Germany.
The prosecution told the court that the accused person is also a model and that he had arrived at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on September 7, 2009 to board a flight to Germany.
According to the prosecution, while the accused person was going through departure formalities, officials of the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) suspected him of carrying narcotic drugs and subsequently invited him for interrogation and it was during the search that the four tubers of yam containing narcotic drugs were found.
He is currently on remand in police custody.