Judgement in Tsikata's trial fixed for December 20

Accra, Dec. 7, GNA - An Accra Fast Track Court (FTC) on Thursday, fixed December 20, for judgement in the trial of Tsatsu Tsikata, a Former Chief Executive of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), for allegedly causing financial loss to the State.

The FTC gave the adjournment because the Court of Appeal had decided to rule on an appeal filed by Tsikata with respect to certain aspects of the case, on December 19 2006.

Tsikata, Appellant-Applicant, had filed a substantive appeal at the Court of Appeal, asking it to order the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to go to the lower court to testify and produce documents about the Valley Farms Project.

The Lower Court (FTC) had earlier fixed Thursday December 7 for the final determination of the trial.

Tsikata is charged with three counts of wilfully causing financial loss of about 2.3 billion cedis to the State, through a loan he, on behalf of the GNPC, guaranteed for Valley Farms.

The accused is also charged with misapplying public property.

The trial judge, Mrs Justice Henrietta Abban, an Appeal Court Judge with additional responsibility as a High Court Judge, had admitted him to a self-recognizance bail, after he had pleaded not guilty. The Defence Team is led by Prof. Emmanuel Victor O. Dankwa and Major Rowland S. Agbenato (rtd), while the Republic is represented by Ms Gertrude Aikins, Chief State Attorney and Mr Augustines Obour, Assistant State Attorney.