Konadu's case before new judge

Accra July 9, GNA- The case involving the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and four others in connection with divestiture of GIHOC Nsawam Cannery has been put before a new judge.

The case was initially before Mr Paul Baffoe Bonney, now a Supreme Court judge, and later put before Mr Justice K. A. Acquaye who has been promoted to the Court of Appeal.

The new judge is Mr Justice Edward Asante.

The new judge, who just took the case said this is the first time he was seeing the docket and therefore adjourned to July 18.

Nana Konadu, Hanny is standing trial with Sherry Ayittey, Emmanuel Agbodo, Kwame Peprah and Thomas Benson Owusu

Mr Achie Danso held the brief for Mr Tony Lithur, counsel for Nana Konadu.

The court was also informed that Nana Konadu would not be in court on July 18.

Agbodo a former Executive Secretary of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC) and Thomas Benson Owusu, an accountant the first and second accused persons respectively, pleaded not guilty to seven counts of conspiracy to commit crime and stealing. Agbodo, Kwame Peprah, former Finance Minister and Chairman of DIC; Hanny Sherry Ayittey, Director of Caridem and Nana Konadu pleaded not guilty to four counts of causing loss to public property to the tune of over 9.2 billion cedis and using false statements to obtain public property. Nana Konadu, Sherry Ayittey and Caridem, charged with conspiracy to alter documents and altering false documents have pleaded not guilty.

The facts of the case as read out in court were that in the late 90s, Government received approval to divest GIHOC Nsawam Cannery to Caridem which had won the bid through the normal process. Caridem was supposed to have paid a 10% non-refundable commitment fee in the purchase of GIHOC.

In addition, some amount of money should have been submitted with the final Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA).

It was after the Auditor-General, in pursuance of Article 121 of the Constitution decided to conduct a routine audit of organizations that he detected the anomalies in the GIHOC Nsawam Cannery affair. The prosecution team was of the opinion that it would lead the court to prove that there were a lot of discrepancies in the sale of Nsawam Cannery to Caridem which belonged to the 31st December Women's Movement (DWM). The team said the SPA was not paid on time contrary to the terms of the offer.

On receipt of the non-refundable commitment fee paid by Caridem, Emmanuel Agbodo, without the knowledge of the DIC, allegedly went ahead and opened a bank account and the money disappeared within a few days. It said Agbodo reportedly lied to the factory manager that Caridem had fulfilled all the terms of the contract, and that the actions of the accused persons have allegedly caused astronomical loss to the state to the tune of 9.2 billion cedis.