Drama at CEPS Enquiry

...as untruthful witness pleads for clemency
Accra, Aug 29, GNA - Mr Okyere Adu, a witness at the Justice Glenn Baddoo Committee of Enquiry, on Wednesday admitted lying to the Committee and pleaded for mercy.

Cupping his hands with melting eyes, Mr Adu went on his knees and pleaded with the Committee to tamper justice with mercy, explaining that he lied out of frustration.

Committee Chairman Mr Justice Samuel Glenn Baddoo asked for a caution statement to be taken from the witness who gave evidence on August 13, 2007, alleging that Mr Richard Stephen Aidoo-Yeboah and one Stephen Sedzro, both at Akosombo, had tricked him to buy a 208 Mercedes Benz mini-bus at GH(7,500 (75 million cedis) and later furnished him with fake customs and registration documents.

Mr Adu, who was cross-examining Mr Aidoo-Yeboah, said he would not have petitioned the Committee if he had known that his evidence would land him in trouble after the Committee Chairman had warned him that he could be charged for perjury.

Perjury, the crime of wilfully telling lies under oath. It is a second-degree felony, which carries a maximum conviction of 10 years. Mr Adu admitted that Mr Yeboah-Aidoo was not his cousin as he had earlier claimed and that he had neither paid any 75 million cedis to Yeboah-Aidoo for them to procure a vehicle for him.

The Committee chairman called Mr Adu to order and restricted him to the evidence he had given on August 13 2007, when he sought to question Mr Adu-Yeboah on a supposed loan he had taken from him. Mr Adu had also accused the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) of issuing fake vehicle documents to him.

In his evidence-in-chief, Mr Aidoo-Yeboah told the Committee that he was retrenched out of the employment of Juapong Textiles Limited and upon the advice of a friend, he used his benefit to buy the bus in August 2005.

He said he agreed with the driver of his vehicle to take a loan of 2.5 million cedis from Mr Adu in April 2006, to do some repair works on the vehicle.

Mr Adu however seized the vehicle when after sometime the loan was not paid.

The Committee heard that Mr Adu later, without the knowledge of the vehicle owner, converted the engine from petrol to diesel, a process he claimed cost him 60 million cedis.

Mr Aidoo-Yeboah said he objected to the engine conversion when he got wind of it while the vehicle was still with Adu, who later informed him that it had been impounded and kept at Burma Camp. Mr Aidoo-Yeboah said he gave 75 million cedis to Sedzro for the purchase of the bus and that Sedzro later came for an additional five million cedis for other expenses on it.

Mr Aidoo-Yeboah tendered documents, which showed that the vehicle with registration number VR 644 W had been registered in his name. Meanwhile the Chairman of the Committee has assured witnesses appearing before the enquiry not to be intimidated by threats of curses, adding that that a curse without a cause had no effect. Finance Minister Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu last month inaugurated the four-member Committee.

The terms of reference of the Committee, which has a one-month deadline, include investigating allegations of operational malpractices at the CEPS with a view to establishing administrative actions against culpable personnel and identify management weaknesses in dealing expeditiously with disciplinary matters.

The Committee is also to review the systems, procedures, processes and rules and regulations of the Service in relation to its auction procedures with a view to recommending specific actions or alternatives of disposing of goods. It is also to examine the role of clearing agents, auctioneers and to look into any other related matters. 29 Aug 07