Angry Women Heckle Ex-Minister

...Accuse him of complicity in deceit

THE FORMER Minister for the Interior, Nii Okaidja Adamafio, was last week heckled by angry market women on the premises of the Greater Accra Community Tribunal.

Nii Okaidja had, moments before the incident, cross-examined a market queen who was a prosecution witness in a case of fraud and forgery, involving a National Democratic Congress (NDC) activist.

The incident occurred when the accused, Haruna Agesheka, who had been expelled as secretary from the Ghana Agricultural Products Traders Association (GAPTO), was found using a vehicle belonging to the organisation with the original inscription reportedly altered.

The women claimed that the vehicle which bore registration number GV 2914 C and registered in the name of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture now had a Marketing Division tag inscribed on it, confirming their fears that the accused, Agesheka, now on ?100million bail, had something up his sleeves.

Efforts by the market women, who had stormed the court in their numbers, to get the accused to hand over the vehicle did not materialise as they literally caused a stir in which all manner of words were hurled at the former minister who they accused of conniving with the accused, Agesheka, of complicity in the act of deceit.

"Agesheka is supposed to have handed over the vehicle to the organisation," the angry women told Chronicle.

Malam Adiza Agesheka, wife of the accused, had earlier lampooned the market women for sleeping with her husband shamelessly and going ahead to lay charges against him to be prosecuted.

In the ensuing confusion, the former minister, who did his best to keep himself in check, also had to endure some rubbishing from the women who called him names.

The prosecution had earlier tendered in evidence copies of receipts, documents, cheques and vouchers relevant to the case before the court.

GAPTO last year lodged a complaint with the police service accusing Mr. Agesheka of falsely presenting himself to the Citi Savings and Loans Company at Osu in Accra and messing up with the accounts of the association by making unauthorised and dubious withdrawals in the name of the association.

Acting as sole signatory to their account, Agesheka allegedly withdrew monies totalling two billion cedis from GAPTO without the consent and authorisation of the executives and members of the association as required by their constitution.

The group, therefore, rose up in arms against him and passed a resolution expelling the General-Secretary from his position and also summoning him to account for every cedi that had passed through the bank from 1992 till the end of last year.

Agesheka is being represented in court by Nii Okaidja, who was NDC Member of Parliament for the Odododiodoo Constituency in the Greater Accra Region in the last government.

Haruna Agesheka was arrested last year and put in prison custody for alleged acts of fraud and forgery involving billions of cedis.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.