An Accra High Court has granted 500 million cedis bail to Mallam Ali Yusif Isa, the sacked Minister for Youth and Sports, when he made his first appearance over the loss of 46,000 dollars meant as winning bonus and imprest for the Black Stars.
Mallam Isa pleaded not guilty to stealing and fraudulently causing financial loss to the state.
The court presided over by Justice Julius Ansah ordered that Mallam Isa submits title deeds to be inspected by the court's registry. It also ordered Mallam Isa to report to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the Police Headquarters at 0900 hours three times a week - Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Justice Ansah warned both the prosecution and the defense that under the fast track court established a month ago, proceedings would continue even if they failed to attend court. Mallam Isa is scheduled to appear again on May 14. Prosecuting Mr. Anthony Gyambiby, State Attorney, said, on March 14, this year, "The Dispatch" a private weekly published the story of the loss of 46,000 dollars given to the ex- minister.
The money was to be disbursed as bonuses and imprest to players of the national senior football team and officials during a world cup qualifying match in the Sudan on February 25.
Mr. Gyambiby said following the publication the police administration set up a committee of enquiry to investigate the circumstances leading to the loss of the money. He said investigations showed that on February 21, Mr. Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, acting Chairman of GFA, Mr. Daniel Prime, Acting Chief Director, Mr. Worlanyo Agrah, General Secretary of GFA and Mr. La Danso, a member of GFA met with Mallam Isa and discussed the trip to the Sudan.
Mr. Gyambiby said although the money for the payment of winning bonus, per diem and imprest was not ready, it was decided that the players and some officials should leave for Sudan on the night of February 21 to enable them to acclimatize.
It was agreed that Mallam Isa should bring the money when it was released. He said the release of the money was processed on February 23, and Mr. James Piimi, Principal Accountant, gave it to the ex-minister. The money was in three parcels of 46,000 dollars for the winning bonus and imprest, 8,686 dollars for per diem and 1,042 dollars per diem for the ex-minister himself. Gyambiby said Mallam Isa put the 46,000 dollars and some items including an audit report in his green suitcase, which he used for the trip and kept the remaining in his briefcase, which he carried with him.
The State Attorney said investigations, however, revealed that before the ex-minister left Accra to Sudan on February 23, he removed the 46,000 dollars from the green suit case and put it in his flat black bag which he usually carried to the office. He said earlier, Mr. Agrah, whose advice Mallam Isa sought told him to put the money in his briefcase instead of the green suitcase.
According to Gyambiby investigations also disclosed that the accused person did not use the flat black security bag in which he put the 46,000 dollars for the trip. He said further investigations revealed that Mallam Isa before finally going to the airport in the evening of February 23, passed through the house.
The State Attorney said on arrival in Sudan on Sunday February 25, via Amsterdam and Frankfurt, Mr. Kojo Bonsu who had traveled on the same flight with the accused person, went to check out Mallam Isa's luggage and discovered that the green suitcase had not arrived. He said Mr. Bonsu informed Mallam Isa about it and arrangements were made with the Lufthansa airline on which they traveled from Frankfurt to Sudan for its retrieval.
The State Attorney said the green suitcase was eventually retrieved after it was discovered in Frankfurt and re-directed through London to Khartoum on the day of their departure from Sudan on February 28. The ex-minister claimed that when he opened the suitcase he found that the 46,000 dollars and some items, including the audit report, were missing, and he informed Mr. Bonsu and other officials about it, the State attorney said.
He said when Bonsu brought the suitcase the handle had broken and one of the wheels had peeled off creating a small hole at the bottom.Gyambiby said when the accused person arrived in Ghana, he briefed a friend called Babangida about the missing money who advised him to inform the Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama about it.
Investigations, however, showed that he did not inform the Vice President about it until the story was published on March 14.
The State Attorney said he would lead evidences to establish circumstances, which would show that the accused person dishonestly appropriated the 46,000 dollars.
The prosecution said it would also lead evidence that he did not go to Sudan with the money and that the audit report he said got missing with other items from the suitcase was found in his room during a search by the committee. It said it would show that the combination numbers of the green suitcase was not tampered with and the hole under it was too small to allow items the accused person claimed were missing to be pulled out through it.
Pleading for bail, Alhaji Nuhu-Billa, counsel for Mallam Isa said he accepted the charge for fraudulently causing financial loss to the state, adding, "we are prepared to mobilize funds to pay back." Mr. Gyambiby said if the accused person accepted the second charge, then he should not have pleaded not guilty.
The court refused defense counsel's request for two weeks adjournment
