Mrs. Rawlings' Prosecutors Gone AWOL

The former First Lady of Ghana, Mrs. (Nana) Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and others charged with willfully causing financial loss to the state, conspiracy, stealing etc, today appeared in court.

The other accused persons are Sherry Ayittey, Mr. Kwame Peprah, Emmanuel Agbodo, Owusu Benson and Caridem Development Company of 31st Dec. Women’s Movement (31st DWM) as an entity.

The suit is in relation to the Divestiture of Nsawam Cannery to the 31st DWM during the NDC government’s era.

Today the Attorney-General Department’s prosecutors were absent from the court. No reason was given for their absence. A defence counsel for Mr. Emmanuel Agbodo and other accused persons by name Lawyer D. O. Lamptey told the court that Agbodo’s leading lawyer, Major (rtd) R. S. Agbenortor has died so they would need time to get a new lawyer to replace him and collect this case document from the late Agbenoto’s chambers.

The Presiding Judge, Justice K. A. Acquaye accepted the request and adjourned the case to 20th February, 2008. According to our correspondent, Bernard Quanson, there was heavy armed police presence at the court’s premises. Readers would recall that all the accused persons have since pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.

Today, more than any other day, Nana Konadu and Sherry Ayittey’s supporters expressed solidarity to them with brassband music and Ga traditional dance called ‘Dzama in grandstyle.