Mpiani, Tarzan handed GHC70m bail

The former Chief Executive of the defunct Ghana@50 Secretariat Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobbey and former Chief of Staff in the erstwhile Kufour administration Mr. Kwadwo Okyere Mpiani who doubled as the Chairman of the National Planning Commission [NPC] were on Thursday afternoon arraigned before an Accra High Court and charged on four counts of wilfully causing financial loss to the state.

When the case was called at about 1:18pm the clerk to the court read out a four count charge all on causing financial loss to the state each of which the accused persons pleaded not guilty.

The director of state prosecutions, Madam Gertrude Aikins who read the facts of the case to the court, fully packed to capacity mostly by members of the opposition New Patriotic Party including former President Kufour.

The facts according to the prosecutor of the case are that Parliament approved a total amount of 31.8million dollars on July 20, 2006 arguing the National Planning Commission and the Ghana@50 secretariat spent a total sum GH? 46,999,563.00 in excess of the amount approved by Parliament.

It was also found that internally generated funds amounting to GH? 19,352,498.00 was also spent by the secretariat and the NPC without approval from parliament.

Mrs. Aikins also told the court that the NPC and the secretariat procured a bridge finance facility of GH?438,036.37 and an overdraft facility of GH?10million from the Prudential Bank also without Parliamentary approval contrary to article 181 of the 1992 constitution both facilities according to the prosecution had attracted a total interest of GH? 3,082,955.2.

By these, prosecution held the two had caused financial loss to the state and increased Government’s expenditure.

The defense team led by Mr. Akoto Ampaw including Messers Yoni Kolendi, Egbert Faible Jnr., contended that since their clients had assisted the commission of enquiry into the activities of the Ghana@50 celebrations and also assisted the Police in its investigative processes, the court should grant the accused persons a self recognizance bail which was agreed to by the prosecution without any objection.

The court subsequently upheld their appeal and granted them to a self recognizance bail of GH 35million each.

They are to re-appear in court on the 26th of May this year to allow the defense study the charges against their client and to appraise themselves of the report of the Ghana@50 commission of enquiry.

Meanwhile when Asempa News spoke to some former government officials of what they make of the court proceedings, they were of the opinion that the court will acquit and discharge their former colleagues.