Asamoah-Boateng's case adjourned to April 20

April 16, 2011 (Page 19)

THE Accra Fast Track High Court yesterday adjourned proceedings in the procurement case against a former Minister of Information, Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, aka Asabee, and eight others to enable the prosecution to produce documents bordering on the case.
Asabee, his wife, Zuleika, Frank Agyekum, a former Deputy Minister at the Ministry; Kofi Asamoah-Boateng, a former Director of Finance and Administration at the Ministry of Information; Dominic Yaw Sampong, a former Chief Director at the Ministry of Information; Kwabena Denkyira, a former Deputy Director of Finance and Administration at the ministry; Yasmin Domua and Prosper Aku of Supreme Procurement Agency Ltd, as well as the company as an entity, are standing trial for allegedly conspiring to contravene the Procurement Act by not following due processes in awarding a contract amounting to GHҐ86,915.85 to Plexiform Ventures for renovation work at the Ministry of Information.
The trial judge, Mr Justice Charles Quist, adjourned the case to April 20, 2011 after he had upheld an objection from counsel for Kofi Asamoah-Boateng and Sampong, Mr Augustine Obour, on the tendering of a single document which formed part of a set of five.
According to Mr Obour, a letter dated November 19, 2008 and signed by Mr Agyekum requesting for the release of funds for the payment of the renovation works formed part of a set of five documents.
He, therefore, argued that it was not proper for the prosecution to seek to tender only one out of the five documents in evidence through its witness, Mr Godfred Agyapong, the Head of Audit at the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).
However, a Chief State Attorney, Mr Anthony Gyambiby, disagreed with Mr Obour on the grounds that the documents attached to the November 19, 2008 letter were irrelevant to the case and for that reason it was not necessary for them to have been brought to court.
Following defence counsel's objection, the court adjourned the case to April 20, 2011 to enable the prosecution to produce those documents.
Asabee and his wife have pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy and contravention of provisions of the Public Procurement Act.
Sampong is facing six counts of conspiracy, contravention of the Procurement Act, attempt to defraud, altering document and deceit of public officer, while Agyekum has been charged with five counts of conspiracy, contravention of provision, attempt to defraud and deceit of public officer.
Domua, a cousin of Zuleika’s, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit crime.
Kofi Asamoah-Boateng faces six counts of forgery of official document, possession of forged document, forgery and possession of false document, while Denkyira also faces one charge of conspiracy.
Aku has also been charged with four counts of possessing and forgery of document of architects, engineering certificate and false tender document.
All the accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them and have been granted GHҐ10,000 bail with two sureties each.