Court to rule on preliminary objection

The Fast rack High Court trying Mallam Ali Yusuf Isa, the ex- Minister of Youth and Sports, on charges of stealing and fraudulently causing financial loss to the state will today rule on a preliminary objection raised by his counsel against the second charge.

The court, chaired by Mr Justice Julius Ansah, an Appeal Court judge sitting as an additional High Court judge, set the date after hearing submissions from both the defence and prosecution. Mallam Isa has pleaded not guilty to both charges and has been granted bail in the sum of 500 million cedis with a surety to be justified.

Objecting to the charge at Monday's sitting, the new lawyer of the ex-minister, Mr Ambrose Dery, said the charge infringed on the fundamental human rights of his client and should, therefore, be declared unconstitutional.