The Investigator in the case in which the former Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Tsatsu Tsikata is being tried for allegedly causing financial loss to the state says he interviewed and interrogated witnesses and took statements from them.
Chief Inspector Nyadi who was testifying as the sixth prosecution witness in the case at an Accra Fast Track Court on Monday said he also visited the various offices of GNPC at its Tema Headquarters and conferred with the then Acting Chief Executive, the Finance Officer and the Corporation's Board Secretary on issues relating to the case. Tsikata is alleged to have caused the loss of more than 2.3 billion cedis to the State in a transaction in which he allegedly committed GNPC to guarantee a loan facility from Caisse Francaise de Developpement (CFD), a French development aid agency, for Valley Farms, a private limited liability company.
The accused person who is charged with four counts of wilfully causing financial loss to the State, and intentionally misapplying public property has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and has been admitted to a self-recognisance bail in the sum of 700 million cedis. Chief Inspector Nyadi who was led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr Osafo Sampong told the court that while at the corporation's headquarters, he had access to Valley Farms' Correspondence File as well as other relevant documents in connection with the case.
The Witness said one of the documents which he laid hands on was the Financial Statement of GNPC for 1996. He told the court that he had a copy of the statement and explained that the officials who gave it to him said they could not trace the original document at the time. Chief Inspector Nyadi said in the financial statement, the corporation's total investment holdings in Valley Farms stood at 1.6 billion cedis. He told the court that he also retrieved three different maps depicting the lands acquired by Valley Farms for its projects.
He said he further collected the Minutes of minutes of the GNPC board spanning the period 1987 to 1992. When witness was about to tender in evidence the minutes of the 1987 board meeting, the counsel for Tsikata, Professor Emmanuel Victor Oware Dankwa raised an objection. The Counsel was of the view that the document was not signed and could therefore not be tendered in evidence.
An Appeal Court Judge with an additional responsibility on the case as a High Court Judge, Mrs Justice Henrietta Abban over-ruled the objection, saying that defence counsel did not complain that the document was fraudulent. Mrs Justice Abban has adjourned the case to Wednesday, January 15 for the investigator to continue with his evidence.
The Investigator in the case in which the former Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Tsatsu Tsikata is being tried for allegedly causing financial loss to the state says he interviewed and interrogated witnesses and took statements from them.
Chief Inspector Nyadi who was testifying as the sixth prosecution witness in the case at an Accra Fast Track Court on Monday said he also visited the various offices of GNPC at its Tema Headquarters and conferred with the then Acting Chief Executive, the Finance Officer and the Corporation's Board Secretary on issues relating to the case. Tsikata is alleged to have caused the loss of more than 2.3 billion cedis to the State in a transaction in which he allegedly committed GNPC to guarantee a loan facility from Caisse Francaise de Developpement (CFD), a French development aid agency, for Valley Farms, a private limited liability company.
The accused person who is charged with four counts of wilfully causing financial loss to the State, and intentionally misapplying public property has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and has been admitted to a self-recognisance bail in the sum of 700 million cedis. Chief Inspector Nyadi who was led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr Osafo Sampong told the court that while at the corporation's headquarters, he had access to Valley Farms' Correspondence File as well as other relevant documents in connection with the case.
The Witness said one of the documents which he laid hands on was the Financial Statement of GNPC for 1996. He told the court that he had a copy of the statement and explained that the officials who gave it to him said they could not trace the original document at the time. Chief Inspector Nyadi said in the financial statement, the corporation's total investment holdings in Valley Farms stood at 1.6 billion cedis. He told the court that he also retrieved three different maps depicting the lands acquired by Valley Farms for its projects.
He said he further collected the Minutes of minutes of the GNPC board spanning the period 1987 to 1992. When witness was about to tender in evidence the minutes of the 1987 board meeting, the counsel for Tsikata, Professor Emmanuel Victor Oware Dankwa raised an objection. The Counsel was of the view that the document was not signed and could therefore not be tendered in evidence.
An Appeal Court Judge with an additional responsibility on the case as a High Court Judge, Mrs Justice Henrietta Abban over-ruled the objection, saying that defence counsel did not complain that the document was fraudulent. Mrs Justice Abban has adjourned the case to Wednesday, January 15 for the investigator to continue with his evidence.
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