Ruling on alleged dishonest cocoa purchasing clerks in June

Akropong-Akuapem(E/R), May 25, GNA- The Akropong Circuit Court, has adjourned to June 16, the hearing of the case in which three purchasing clerks from the East Akim District, have been accused of adjusting their cocoa weighing scales to cheat farmers. The adjournment was to enable the presiding Judge, Mr Yaw Owusu Kwateng, to give his ruling on a preliminary objection raised by the Counsel for the accused persons, Mr Owusu Mills.

The plea of the accused persons, Emmanuel Kwami Okai, Daniel Abrokwa and Seth Oteng Adjei of Akyem Amamfro were not taken and they are on bail.

Mr Mills argued that the charge sheet indicated that the offence committed by his clients was in May last year, but the sheet did not state whether the offence was committed on specific dates or throughout the month of May and therefore prayed the court to discharge the accused persons.

The facts of the case was that, last May, staff of the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) conducted inspection on the weighing scales of the cocoa purchasing clerks, following complaints by some cocoa farmers that the scales have been tempered with. During the check, the GSB noticed that the three accused persons and other purchasing clerks had adjusted their scales. When the Kyebi Magistrate Court was trying the case, the accused persons protested to the Eastern Regional Supervising High Court Judge that they could not get fair trial before the court hence the need to transfer the case to the Akropong Circuit Court. 25 May 05