A former deputy minister of finance, Victor Selormey, who is on trial at the Accra Fast Track high Court for causing financial loss of ?2.73 million to the state, has changed his lawyers in the case.
When the case was called, the new lawyer, Mr. Kwabla Senanu, told the court, presided over by Mr. Justice S.T. Farkye, an appeal court judge sitting as an additional high court judge that he had taken over the defence from Mr. Johnny Quarshie Idun and Mr. Barima Manu. Mr. Senanu did not give any reasons but when contacted he could only say that was normal with the law practice, efforts to talk to Selormey did not materialize either.
The former deputy minister together with Daniel Kwasi Abodakpi, also a former minister of trade and industry is being tried on seven counts of conspiracy to commit crime, defrauding by false pretences and willfully causing financial loss to the state.
The said money was allegedly paid to consultants or feasibility studies to create a science and technological park in Ghana, charges that the accused have denied. They are however, on a 3-billion self recognizance bail each. Selormey is already serving a four-year jail term at the Nsawam Security prisons in connection with the famous quality grains rice project in the Volta Region.