High Court judge hands over lawyer, auctioneer to CID

An Accra High court judge has handed over a lawyer and an auctioneer to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Police Service, for investigations into tampered valuation report.

Justice Edward Amoako Asante suspected some fraud in the devaluation of cars meant for auction in open court.

Two cars - a 2010 Honda Civic and a 2005 Toyota Yaris were up for auction after a valuation by the State Transport Company assessed the Honda Civic at 15 thousand Ghana cedis and Eight thousand Ghana cedis for the Toyota Yaris.

But in open court, lawyer Rockson Dafeamerkpor quoted Seven thousand Ghana cedis for the Honda Civic and Six thousand Ghana cedis for the Toyota Yaris.

The Judge got curious about the development and on his own increased the price for the Honda Civic to Nine thousand Ghana cedis.

The Lawyer’s client, George Essandoh, had allegedly been warned by his Lawyer and the auctioneer Kwesi Haizel not to raise a query about the price because the judge was the one purchasing the Honda through his driver at the auction.

George became curious that a judge who allegedly was interested in the car was not happy about the low price and on his own increased the price.

So he sought audience with him in chambers, suspecting foul play.

The Judge called his clerk and the registrar to join the meeting at which he denied knowing anything about the auction and then got George to call and put the auctioneer on speaker-phone and the auctioneer was heard confirming the judge was interested.

George Essandoh was then advised to bring a motion to set aside the auction sale since the valuation report (done by the State Transport Company) had been tampered with.

The judge subsequently invited the Police CID to take over the matter, and they did on Thursday. The Lawyer has declined comments.

We sincerely apologise for the earlier narrative of the matter in which the facts were inadvertently misrepresented.