SFO Director Before Court

The Assistant Director of Administration at the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Flt. Lt. Yao Kutsienyo (rtd) was yesterday arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court for causing damage to the property of the SFO valued at ?697,000.

The retired soldier, who faced a second charge of a threat of harm, pleaded not guilty to both counts. He was granted a ?20 million -bail with one surety by the court, presided over by Mr. Emmanuel Ankamah to reappear on September 25.

Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Eric Amoako told the court that Kutsienyo, who was served with a letter of interdiction on August 27, this year did not take kindly to the order and rushed to the office and began issuing threats to other officers, daring anybody to approach him to collect the keys to his office.

The following day, the accused appeared at the office again to cause further commotion and refused to hand over the keys to his office as required of him.Subsequently, the lock to his office was changed to prevent him from entering.

However, at about 8.30 pm the same day (August 28), the accused person came to the offices of the SFO with a handbag pretending to have come to do some work.

Prosecution said the night security officer did not stop him from entering because he did not know the accused had been interdicted. He also did not know that he was carrying a hammer and nails in the bag to execute a planned job.

However, shortly after the accused had passed by into the office, the security officer heard an unusual noise and rushed to see what was happening. He found the accused destroying the keyhole of the lock of office Room G14. When he was confronted Kutsienyo issued a warning to the security man that if he did not leave the scene he would wound him.