Court discharges Student of Impersonation

Accra, Feb 16, GNA- An Accra Circuit Court on Thursday discharged Isaac Kwame Lutherodt, a student who was first brought before it on December 8, 2006 on two counts of impersonation and stealing. This followed a submission by Mr Fuseini Inusah, counsel for the student, that officials of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), complainants in the case, were absent in court, and were therefore not showing any interest in the matter.

Mr Justice Frank Manu, a High Court Judge, with an additional responsibility on the matter as a circuit court judge, upheld counsel's submission, and discharged Lutterodt.

What this legally means is that the prosecution can re-arrest Lutterodt and prosecute him whenever it becomes interested in the matter again.

When Lutterodt first appeared before the court on December 8, he pleaded not guilty to the two counts, but on the next adjourned date on December 14, the court withdrew the stealing charge against him. At its sitting today, it was the lone charge of impersonation which the court discharged Lutterodt on, because of the absence of officials of WAEC to assist the prosecution in its work.

The prosecution on December 8, told the court that at about 8.30 in the morning of December 23, 2006, Lutterodt who lives at Dansoman went to the Trade Fair Centre of WAEC and introduced himself to candidates taking the November-December Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations, as an Invigilator.

The prosecution said Lutterodt then collected mobile phones from the students, because according to him, it was an offence for any student to take a mobile phone to the examination hall. Lutterodt vanished with the phones, and was not seen until December 25 when some WAEC officials arrested and handed him over to the police, the prosecution concluded.