Saglemi Housing: 1st State Witness involved in Akufo-Addo’s affordable housing launch – Prosecution to court

The Commencement of the trial in which Alhaji Collins Dauda, a former Minister for Water Resource, Works and Housing and four others are standing trial for willfully causing financial loss to the state has been deferred.

This was because Rev. Stephen Yaw Osei, the current serving Chief Director of the Ministry of Works and Housing who is to be the first Prosecution Witness is involved in an Affordable Housing project being launched by the President, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo.

Alhaji Collins Dauda, Dr Kweku Agyeman Mensah – both former Ministers together with the former Chief Director Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu, Andrew Clocanas, Executive Chairman of Construtora OAS Ghana Limited (4th Accused) and Nouvi Tetteh Angelo, Chief Executive Officer and owner of Ridge Management Solutions Ghana Limited, (5th Accused) are facing 70 charges.

They have all pleaded not guilty and have been granted bail.

In Court on Monday, July 10, 2023, when the case was scheduled for the trial to commence with prosecution calling their first witness, Hilda Craig, a Senior State Attorney said their witness was absent.

“My lord, we were to bring out first witness. But, I am informed that the President is launching an affordable housing project somewhere and he is very much involved.”

She added that, their first witness is the current servicing Chief Director of the ministry.

The court also notes that an order for the prosecution to make further disclosures with 14 days has not elapsed.

The Court presided over by Justice Ernest Owusu Dapaah, a Justice of the Court Appeal, has adjourned the case to July 26 for the Prosecution to ensure further disclosures are made on the accused and their lawyers.

As previously advertised, the Minority in Parliament led by Dr Cassiel Ato Forson together with Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Dominic Aryeni, Emmanuel Kofi Armah Boah, Kwame Governs Agbodza, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare and others were all in court to throw their support behind Alhaji Collins Dauda, a former Minister for Works and Housing.

State Witnesses

State Prosecutors are set to parade five witnesses to trial Collins Dauda, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah both former Ministers of Water Resources, Works and Housing and three others are standing trial over the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project.

On June 26, following the the CMC and case completion plan, it also came to light that, Rev Yaw Osei, who will be the First Prosecution Witness will tender in evidence 113 documents to back his evidence.

The prosecution also indicated that, his Witness Statement obtained from him on June 9, 2023 would be relied on as his Witness Statement.

Rev. Yaw Osei whose evidence-in-Chief is expected to last for and hour-and-half, would be subjected to cross-examination by defence counsel estimated at over 1, 500 hours.

Also, Eric Amankwah Junior, an officer from the Ministry of Finance, would be the Second Prosecution witness and is expected to tender in evidence 31 documents.

According to the Prosecution led by Hilda Craig, a Principal State Attorney, the prosecution will need an hour-and-half to put him through his Evidence-in-Chief

The Defence lawyers indicated that, they will need an estimated 51 hours to subject him to cross-examination.

Ms. Lucy Tetteh Akuetteh from Bank of Ghana is expected to tender in evidence six documents to tell her story and will need an hour to give his evidence-in-Chief.

She will also face an estimated 45 hours of cross-examination from the Defence lawyers while Kofi Ohene Oyirebi (PW4) will give an estimated hour evidence-in-Chief and tender a document said to be a report.

He will also face an estimated 87 hours of Cross-examination from the Defence lawyers.

DSP Charles Nyarko, the investigator in the matter who would be the last of the five Prosecution Witness for the state will testify for an estimated three hours.

He would then be subjected to scrutiny by Defence lawyers for an estimated 170 hours in court.

Justice Owusu-Dapaah following the conclusion of the CMC and the case completion plan said the trial will be held for two hours every Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays beginning July 10.

EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, reports that the court also rejected accused persons request to have the Prosecution Witnesses give Viva Voce (Oral) evidence.

Background

Previously on June 7, the former Chief Director Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu pleaded not guilty to 43 counts of willfully causing financial loss to the Republic and issuing of false certificates.

He had since asked the court to proceed with the trial without him.

“I will allow my lawyer to stand in for me during the trial. So the trial should proceed without me – unquoted Alhaji Ziblim told the Court after activating Article 19(2)(f) of the 1992 Constitution.

Alhaji Yakubu, the third accused person has been charged together with four others including two former ministers – Alhaji Collins Dauda (1st Accused) and Dr Kweku Agyeman-Mensah (2nd Accused) were slapped with 70 charges in the Saglemi Affordable Housing case.

The other two accused persons are – Andrew Clocanas, Executive Chairman of Construtora OAS Ghana Limited (4th Accused) and Nouvi Tetteh Angelo, Chief Executive Officer and owner of Ridge Management Solutions Ghana Limited, (5th Accused).

The former Chief Director, said to have been struck by “mild stroke” and appeared in court in a Wheelchair after 48 hours summons on Monday, pleaded not guilty to a 36 combined charges with Alhaji Collins Dauda, Dr Agyeman-Mensah, Albert Clocanas and Nouvi Tetteh Angelo and seven separate charges.

In all, he respond to 43 charges which comprised of 25 counts of Willfully 25 causing financial loss and and 18 counts of Issuing of false certificate.

Before his appearance in court, his lawyers led by Godwin Kudzo Edudzie Tamakloe told the court that, following the amended charge sheet moved by the State on January 24, this year, Alhaji Yakubu had since suffered “mild stroke and cannot walk unsupported.”

Earlier Alhaji Collins Dauda, Dr. Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, also a former Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing; Andrew Clocanas, Executive Chairman of Construtora OAS Ghana Limited and Nouvi Tetteh Angelo, Chief Executive Officer and owner of Ridge Management Solutions Ghana Limited had denied their individual charges.

Alhaji Yakubu and Alhaji Collins Dauda both denied one count of willfully causing financial loss to the Republic.

The former Chief Director and Dr Agyeman-Mensah also denied 18 counts of willfully causing financial loss while together with Andrew Clocanas pleaded not guilty to eight counts of issuing false certificate.

Together with Nouvi Tetteh Angelo, who is the fifth accused person, they pleaded not guilty to nine counts of issuing false certificates.

He separately denied six counts of willfully causing financial loss to the Republic and one count of of issuing false certificates.