FTHC discharges Bawku Central MP on six out of nine charges

Accra, July 8, GNA - Six out of the nine charges preferred against Adamu Daramani, Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central over triple nationality have been dropped by an Accra Fast Track High Court (FTHC). This was after the court in its ruling on a submission of no case discharged him on prohibited immigrant, forgery of passports, registratio n offences, two counts of unauthorised voting and registration offences. It noted that the prosecution was unable to establish those charges,

because some were defective and no court could safely convict the MP on them. The court said the prosecution could not establish that Daramani was

not a Ghanaian although the laws of Ghana, allowed dual citizenship. However, it asked him to open his defence on Monday, August 2 in respect of three counts of false declaration of office before voting, perjury and deceit of a public officer.

It noted that prosecution had been able to establish that the accuse d was holder of a British passport that would expire in 2014, therefore the MP owed allegiance to two countries. In March this year, the prosecution after calling four witnesses clo sed its case. However, Daramani's counsel intimated to the court to make a submiss ion of no case.

Adamu Daramani, aka Adamu Daramani-Sakande, aka Adamou Sakande, a Security Management Specialist, was facing nine counts including being a prohibited immigrant and forgery of travelling certificates. Other charges were false declaration for office; perjury; deceiving public officer, unauthorised voting and other registration offences. Daramani pleaded not guilty and was admitted to GH¢10,000 bail wit h surety. The Prosecution's case was that in 2008, after the Presidential and Parliamentary elections, information reached the complainant, Mr Biebil t hat the accused, who won the Bawku Central seat on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party had multiple nationalities. As part of Mr Biebil's civic responsibility, he noticed that Daraman i had violated the law, and reported it to the authorities and investigatio ns revealed that Daramani had multiple nationalities. The prosecution said investigations revealed that Daramani had a Burkinabe passport number C10098625, which was issued in November 1999 an d expired in September 2009. It said Daramani as a Burkinabe, travelled on the said passport to Ghana on March 19, 2004 and departed on March 30, 2004. The prosecution said Daramani also possessed and owned a United King dom passport number 094442650 on which he travelled to Ghana and arrived in t he country in December 2005, sought and obtained a Ghanaian Entry Visa with the Ghana High Commission in London. In addition, when Daramani returned to Ghana in 2007, he managed to secure a Ghanaian passport, thereby evading and abusing the county's electoral system and laws. The prosecution said Daramani used the same representation to get hi s constituents to nominate him as Parliamentary Candidate, and was accepted , thereby making them to believe that he was a Ghanaian and filed all the requisite forms. It pointed out that Article 94 (2) of the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution of Ghana, forbids aliens from contesting elections in the country. 8 July 10