Accra, May 10, GNA - The state has vehemently opposed the provision of relevant documents to five public officials standing trial in the Ghana International Airlines Saga. In an affidavit in opposition, the state contended that it was not legally right for it to provide relevant documents in a summary trial.
The opposition stemmed from an application put in by three
of the public officials for their defence counsels to be provided
with documents needed in the conduct of a fair trial. When the case was called at the Fast Track High Court,
Mr. Jacob Acquah-Sampson, counsel for Richard Anane, contended that he was provided with an affidavit in opposition filed by Ms. Gertrude Aikins, Director for Public Prosecution (DPP) this morning.
According him, the three counsels for the accused including
him ought to study and file supplementary affidavit if any. Mr. Acquah-Sampson therefore prayed for an adjournment
to enable them respond to the affidavit in opposition. The court therefore obliged and adjourned the matter to
May 17. The five public officials are; Richard Winfred Anane,
former Minister of Transport, Samuel Crabbe, former
Greater Accra Regional Chairman of NPP, Anthony
Akoto-Osei, former Minister of State at the Ministry of
Finance and Economic Planning, Kwadwo Okyere Mpiani,
former Chief of Staff and George Gyan-Baffour, former
Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. Four other accused persons Ralf Atkins; Kirk Heaton;
Albert Vitali and Brain Brisby, all former directors of GIAL
were not in court. All the accused person have been charged with stealing,
causing financial loss to the State, fraud and deceit of public
officer regarding the roles they played in the formation of
GIAL and the subsequent liquidation of Ghana Airways. Crabbe, who is also President of Unger Oaks Limited,
minority shareholders of GIAL, and Anane have been
additionally charged with wilfully causing financial loss to the
State to the tune of about 4.9 million dollars. Crabbe is being held solely for opening an offshore
account, without authority from the Bank of Ghana,
conspiracy to steal and stealing. Akoto-Osei has six additional charges of wilfully causing
financial loss to the State, fraud and deceit of public officer
and misapplication of public funds. They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges and
admitted to self recognisance bail of GH¢300,000 each by the
court presided over Mr. Justice Bright Mensah. Meanwhile, the Court has excused Anane who is said to be
travelling outside the jurisdiction at the next sitting. At the last sitting, Akoto-Osei, who is also Member of
Parliament of Tafo-Pankrono was excused to travel to
Tanzania, after details had been furnished to the court by the
Clerk of Parliament. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, former New Patriotic
Party (NPP) flag bearer, Professor Mike Ocquaye, Sheik I.C
Quaye, Frema Opare Osei, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, Shirley
Ayorkor Botchway and other party faithfuls were in the court
in solidarity of their colleagues. Prosecuting, Ms. Gertrude Aikins, Director of Public
Prosecutions, said Dr. Anane misrepresented facts on GIAL,
which was then not in existence, to the Cabinet of Former
President John Agyekum Kufuor and misled the then
Government to pay shares into a fraudulent company. She said Dr. Anane's action subsequently led to the
liquidation of Ghana Airways. The prosecution said Dr. Anane declared that four
companies had expressed interest in Ghana Airways and later
presented a letter of intent, which was signed between the
Government of Ghana and GIAL to form a new company
called New Ghana Airways (NGA), although GIAL was at that
time not in existence. Ms. Aikins said the memorandum Dr. Anane presented to
Cabinet to sign was dated September 9, 2004 but GIA was not
in existence at that date. She said although management of PriceWaterhouse
Coopers had rated NGA, which had signed an agreement with
the Government to form GIAL, third after KLM and Ghanair;
two other companies which had submitted their bids to take
over Ghana Airways, NGA won the bid. Ms. Aikins said Mpiani, on June 2, 2005, wrote to the
Chairman of Government Taskforce on Ghana Airways
Limited authorising the taskforce to take all necessary steps
to put the airline into formal liquidation. She said Akoto-Osei signed a loan agreement committing
the Government to a financial obligation of paying GH¢15
million from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust
to GIAL. Ms. Aikins said Dr. Akoto-Osei gave the amount from
SSNIT to GIAL as a loan, without Parliamentary approval
and at a time when the minority shareholders of the airline
had abandoned the company by withdrawing 1.9 million
dollars from GIAL account without the consent of the majority
shareholder=B8 Government of Ghana. She said Mr. Mpiani authorised the release of six million
dollars to GIAL in September 2008 without Parliamentary
approval. According to the prosecution, Crabbe, who represented the
minority shareholders in the company, on June 27, 2005
withdrew 1.9 million dollars from the Government of Ghana's
account, without approval from the Government (the Majority
Shareholder).