Bench warrant for Mitsubishi MD

The Accra Circuit Court on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 issued a bench warrant for the arrest of two directors of African Automobile Limited for failing to appear in court over a criminal case filed against them by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

They are Mohammed Hijazi, Managing Director of Mitsubishi and Jehad, a Director of the Company.

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime.

The Court, presided over by Mrs. Doris Bempong, a High Court Judge sitting as an additional Circuit Court Judge, also adjourned the case to January 23, 2014.

DSP Annor applied for the bench warrant and indicated that he was ready to prosecute the case to the letter.

When the case was last called in December year, Hijazi prayed the court to allow him to put in a plea bargain after his company had issued various cheques to settle its indebtedness to ECG from 2001 to 2004, totaling GH¢36,248.31 and penalty charges on illegal connections to the tune of GH¢43,685.06.

But he failed to honour his promise as well as show up in court when the case was called.

It would be recalled that African Automobile Company Limited, dealers in Mitsubishi vehicles in Ghana, were in the news for defrauding ECG to the tune of GH¢43,685.06 through illegal connection. This was after the same company had failed to pay an amount of GH¢36,248.31 of electricity it consumed from 2001 to 2004, and was disconnected by ECG.

They were arrested in 2010 and put in the dock for conspiracy to commit crime.

Civil action was also taken against them at the Commercial Court to retrieve the amount it owed ECG, which has been settled.

The criminal aspect has to do with the criminal intent to run down the company by stealing power and the general effect of sabotaging the economy of Ghana.