Court issues bench warrant for the arrest of lawyer

The circuit court in Accra on Thursday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Mr. Jah Josiah, an Accra-based legal practitioner for failing to appear in court for allegedly stealing $23,125, belonging to his client.

The accused pleaded not guilty and was admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢30,000 cedis.

Superintendent Kofi Blagodzi told the court that the complainant, manager of Onward Investment Limited, Sunyani branch, lived at Ashongman whilst the accused lived at Osu Kukuhill in Accra.

He said early this year, the complainant’s company was accused by Bank of Ghana for collecting monies from the public without license, which was reported to the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters, Commercial Crime Unit, and the accused was contracted to defend the complainant at court.

Sup. Blagodzi said in February this year, the accused took $23,125 from the complainant to be paid to the Bank of Ghana in February but he failed to do so, and bolted.

The Prosecution said the accused was arrested at his hideout at Osu, and he admitted the offence in his caution statement.

He told the police that he had used the money for business transaction and pleaded for enough time to refund the money.

You would recall that Mr. Jah Josiah is the lawyer who represented Mr Samuel Neequaye Tetteh and his wife in the infamous woyomegate scandal when the latter were cited in the EOCO report for alleged crimes committed against the state.**