Quality Grain Trial: $20.8 million transferred to US

A prosecution witness on Wednesday said between April 1998 and March this year, 20,865,823.07 dollars was transferred into the account of Quality Grain Company at the South Trust Bank in Atlanta, United States.

Mr. Andrews Kingsley Kwadwo Pufe, Director of Finance in charge of preparation of public debt on public accounts at the Controller and Accountant-General's Department (CAG), said the payments were made through the Bank of Ghana (BOG) on instructions from the Ministry of Finance (MOF).

Mr. Pufe was giving evidence in a case in which former Finance Minister, Kwame Peprah, former Food and Agriculture Minister, Ibrahim Adam, and four others are standing trial at the Fast Track Court, charged with conspiracy and causing financial loss to the state.

Witness said Peprah signed some of the documents covering payment instructions while others were signed by the then Acting Chief Directors on behalf of the Minister.

Witness said the latest transfer of 739,450.71 dollars was made on March 29, this year for which Major M.S. Tarra (RTD) former Chief Director signed the payment instruction.

He tendered in evidence all documents covering the transactions. The other accused persons are, Dr Samuel Dapaah, Dr George Yankey, Nana Ato Dadzie and Kwesi Ahwoi, all former senior Public officials.

They have all pleaded not guilty and each of them is on a self-recognisance bail.

Cross-examined by Mr. Kwaku Baah, Counsel for Peprah, witness agreed that all signatories to the payment instructions acted officially. Mr. Pufe agreed again that all the monies transferred were debited to the company and that the transactions were a "debtor/creditor" relationship according to an agreement between the two parties.

Witness said he could not tell whether at the time Major Tarra signed the payment instructions, the present Minister of Finance has assumed duty and added that no more payments were made after March 29, this year.

He said he took over the schedule for the company in 1998 and that he did not know what might have transpired previously neither did he know the terms of agreement between the government and the company.

Meanwhile, the court has refused an application by the prosecution for the court to go on a long adjournment.

The Director of Public Prosecution, Osafo Sampong had urged the court to rest the case until the beginning of next legal year to enable the prosecution to assemble all its witnesses to give evidence.

The superior Courts of Judicature are currently on vacation and are expected to resume in October.

Refusing the application the court said since the trial was a summary one, it would not be in the interest of both the prosecution and the defence to grant long adjournments.

According to Mr. Justice Afreh, he has been mandated to dispose of the case within the vacation period and is, therefore, poised to do so.

Opposing the application, counsel for the accused persons cited an instance where the court had to adjourn for three weeks to enable the prosecution to procure a document from the United States of America.

They said that from the look of things, the prosecution did not prepare well before it charged the accused persons and urged the court to use its powers to close the case, if the prosection cannot continue.