Dr Boadu fails to show up in Court Again

Mr. Justice George K. Acquah, a Supreme Court Judge, on Thursday told the Fast Track Court in Accra that sometime in August 1999, Dr. Frederick Owusu Boadu of Leebda Corporation Limited in Texas demonstrated how the CD-rom operated.

He said the demonstration was done in his chambers when Dr Boadu called on him to introduce himself and to discuss how the rom could be used in recording court proceedings and judgements.

Mr Justice Acquah, who is also the Chairman of the Council for Ghana Law Reports, was giving evidence for the defence in the case in which Victor Selormey, a former Deputy Minister of Finance, is charged with conspiracy and fraudulently causing the loss of 1.3 million dollars to the state.

The former deputy minister has pleaded not guilty and is on 1.5 billion cedis bail with two sureties to be justified.

Witness described the gadget as an "excellent exhibition of CD-rom through a lap top".

Cross-examined by Mr. Osafo Sampong, Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr. Justice Acquah said he did not know that there was any agreement between Leebda Corporation and the Judicial Service, with regard to the CD-rom.

Witness said he was in the chambers with a colleague, Mr. Justice Francis Yaw Kpegah when Dr. Boadu did the demonstration.

In his evidence, Mr Justice Kpegah was shown a rom by Mr J.B. Quashie-Idun, counsel for Selormey, but witness said he could not identify it as the one demonstrated by Dr Boadu.

The prosecution objected to the rom being tendered in evidence through witness on the grounds that Mr Justice Kpegah would not be able to answer questions on it.

The Presiding Judge Mr. Justice Sam G. Baddoo upheld the objection and said since the rom has not been identified, it could not be tendered through the witness.

Another defence witness, Mrs Sabina Ofori Boateng, Director of Legislative Drafting at the Attorney General's Department, said sometime in June 1999, she happened to meet Dr. Boadu in her office where he demonstrated the CD-rom to her.

She said she wrote a letter on June 2, 1999, to Dr Boadu expressing her desire for the project to be implemented.

Mrs Boateng could not tell the court if Dr Boadu signed any contract with the Ministry of Justice, saying she worked in a different department.

Mr Quashie-Idun earlier told the court that Dr Boadu was still facing problems and could therefore, not arrive to give evidence in the case.

He said the defence still expects him to come and testify. The court had granted Mr. Quashie-Idun's application for a two-week adjournment to give the defence a second chance for Dr. Boadu to come and give evidence.

Hearing continues on Friday.