Asabee and wife escapes bench warrant

Accra, April 29, GNA - Stephen Asamoah-Boateng former Minister of Information and National Orientation and his wife Zuleika on Thursday narrowly escaped a bench warrant for their arrest when they turned up at the Accra Fast Track High Court.

When the case was called the accused persons were not in court. After defence counsels had announced themselves, Mr. Anthony Gyambiby, Chief State Attorney who noticed the absence of the accused persons in the court room, applied for a bench warrant to arrest them.

Mr. Gyambiby said at the last court sitting a date was fixed in their presence adding "it is not as if the date is left ajar".

Mr. Egbert Faibille Junior, who represented Frank Agyekum, Deputy Minister of Information and National Orientation; told the court that their absence could not have been intentional and attributed it to miscommunication.

A few minutes after Mr. Lawrence F. Dzakpa, Principal Accountant of Ministry of Information (MOI), had mounted the witness box, the two accused persons walked into the court room together with their counsel.

Their counsel, Nene Amegatcher apologised to the court saying he was at the court earlier but was informed that the hearing had been fixed at 1100 hours.

"This he relayed to his clients hence their absence in court," he said. The court informed Nene Amegatcher that it had not ruled on the warrant. Asamoah-Boateng, his wife, Zulieka Jennifer Lorwia and six other public officers have been charged with conspiracy to defraud the State. Also in court was a non-legal entity firm, Supreme Procurement Agencies Limited.

The accused person are alleged to have conspired to defraud the State= of GH¢86,915.85 in renovation works undertaken at the Ministerial Block of= the Ministry during Asamoah-Boateng's tenure of office. Other accused persons are Frank Agyekum, Dominic A. Sampong, former Acting Chief Director, Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Kwabena Denkyira, former Director of Finance and Administration of the Ministry, Prosper Arku of the non-legal entity firm, and Yasmine Domua, a=

businesswoman. They have pleaded not guilty before the court presided over by Mr. Justice Charles Quist.

The court has admitted them to GH¢10,000 bail each with a surety. Led in evidence by prosecution, Mr. Dzakpa said he knows the former Minister, his Deputy and the four former officials of MOI. According to him, he was attached to MOI on March 31, 2008, a month or t= wo later after the former Minister had assumed office at the Ministry. He said he had worked with the Controller and Accountant General's Department since 1986.

Witness said as part of his functions at the MOI, he was Head of Accounts and all cost centres under the Ministry was under him. Some of the centres were agencies under the Ministry including Ghana New= s Agency and Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.

Mr Dzakpa said he was also in-charge of payments of salaries and wag= es as well as administrative expenditures. He mentioned that the procedure for forwarding contracts at the Ministry was not different from what was spelt out in the Procurement Act= .. When asked whether he knew anything about Plexifom Ventures, the witness said he got to know about the company in 2008.

According to him, "a release letter from Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning requesting for payment to Plexifom Ventures and PHC Mot= ors was brought to me". Witness said the said letter was written and signed by Professor Geo= rge Gyan-Baffour, former Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. He said the release letter was admitted in evidence and the matter adjourned to Thursday, May 6. 29 April 10