PW ORDERED TO PRODUCE MEMO IN THE WOYOME TRIAL.

By Felix Engsalige Nyaaba

A prosecution witness in the ongoing criminal case involving Alfred Agbesi Woyome, over the contentious GHC51million judgment debt saga, was yesterday ordered by the trial court to produce a Memo that she prepared and sent to the Minister of finance, advising him to pay Woyome.

The court’s decision followed a request by the lead defence counsel, Mr. Safo Buabeng, during cross-examination of the witness.

According to the defence counsel, the Memo that the witness prepared as part of her advice to the Minister of Finance, to pay Woyome on the default judgment debt, was so vital to the defence to enable them know the direction of question for the witness.

Mr. Buabeng said, the witness at the last sitting told the court the accused did not have any contract with the state and that she was not aware of any document(s) at the Ministry of Finance to show that the accused, Mr.Woyome has a contract with the state.

The witness, Mrs. Mangowa Ghanney, who is serving as the Acting chief legal director of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, appeared before the court on Tuesday this week and testified against Woyome.

She told the court in her evidence-in-chief that, there was no any document at the Ministry of Finance, indicating that, Woyome has any contract with the state.

The witness in her evidence at last sitting, further confirmed to the court that it was Mrs. Betty Mould Iddrisu, the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, who authorized the payment to Woyome.

But, the defence took the prosecution by surprised when it tendered in six different letters from the Ministry of Finance, confirming and advising that Woyome should be paid for the amount he claims.

The defence tendered in six letters, including a letter from the Ministry of Finance and signed by the witness to Woyome and his lawyers confirming the resolute to pay the default judgment debt.

However, a letter written by the then acting legal Chief Director, Mrs. Effie Simpson Akunban, became a controversial between the defence and the prosecution as to whether the said letter could be tendered to the court through the witness who was not author of it.

The prosecutor, Ms Cynthia Lamptey objected to the tendering of the letter through the witness, arguing that, she was not privy to the content of it when it was written.

But the presiding judge, Mr. Justice John Ajet-Nasam overruled the prosecution objection and allowed the letter to be admitted into court and marked as exhibit.

According to the court, since the letter was in relation to the issue before the court, it would be admitted and at the end of the trial the court would then look at the weight of such exhibits before giving its judgment.

The court therefore adjourned proceedings to June 22, this year to enable the witness to produce the Memo she forwarded to the Minister of Finance, recommending that, Woyome should be paid of the amount of GHC51miilion as default of judgment debt against the state.

Woyome has been charged with two count of defrauding by false pretence and causing financial lost to the state, for allegedly using fraudulent means to obtain a consent judgment against the state and succeeded in collecting GHC51.2million from the state.

He was earlier discharged of three counts of conspiracy, defraud and corrupting a public officer.

He however, pleaded not guilty to the new charges and was put on his formal bail of GHC20million with three sureties.

Before  the new charges, Woyome was standing trial with Mr. Samuel Neequaye-Tetteh, former Chief state Attorney at the Attorney General Department, Mr. Paul Asemani, a former Chief Legal adviser to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and Mrs. Gifty Neequaye-Tetteh, wife of Neequaye-Tetteh.

Woyome was in court with his three member team of lawyers and large crowd mainly family members, friends and supporters.

MTTU ARRESTS 84 MOTOR BIKE OFFENDERS

By Felix Engsalige Nyaaba.

The Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana police services has arrested 84 motor bike riders for engaging in various traffic offences for ridding without the requisite license or crash-helmet  in the Accra Metropolis.

The arrested traffic offenders were made up of corporate institution curriers, private motor riders and the defiance commercial motor bike operators, popularly known as “Okada”.

They were all arrested on a two day operation in the Accra Metropolis, by the MTTU officials for ridding without a crash-helmet, jumping of traffic red light and ridding without license or with unapproved license

However, briefing The Enquirer in his office, the national Commanding officer of MTTU, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Awugbutoge Awuni, said, the two day operation which resulted in the arrest of the 84 recalcitrant motor bike riders was informed by the unit attempt to enforce the traffic regulation and to ensure sanity on the road at all time.

He said, even though the police have taking time to educate and inform all road users of the need to observe the traffic regulations, the unit still receives several complaints from both pedestrians and other road users about the negative activities of the motor bike riders and that the MTTU has resolved to continued to conduct the operation to arrest any motor bike rider who offend the traffic regulations or found using ridding with unapproved licenses. 

ACP Awuni noted that, many  people have falling victim to  motor riders, and the recent accident been recorded are said to be caused by knock down by  motor riders, stressing that, the police, especially the MTTU  would not relent its effort in ridding off such illegal motor bike operators.

He told The Enquirer that, the law required that every motor bike rider carry two crash-helmets at a time but such law or regulation has been flouted by motor bike riders and it was time they should be stop and force to obey.

According to the MTTU Commander, some of the motor couriers are becoming the most traffic offenders in the Metropolis, saying some of them often rid on the pavement which is solely for pedestrians and the disable wheel chairs riders.

He said, the two day operation was conducted at places like Asylum-down, the National Theater traffic light as well as the TUC traffic areas.

He stated that, all the arrested suspects or traffic offenders would be process to the law courts for prosecution and warned relatives; friends as well as persons who want to intervene and plead for the arrested offenders to stay off from his office.

“Please, let the message reach all kinds of persons whose relatives, either brother or friend, or the so call big men to stay away from interfering with the police work, no one should call or come here to beg, I would not be ready to take call or listening to any one, the law must work, and must work on everybody,” he warned.

ACP Awuni also noted that, unregistered vehicle owners are becoming problematic in the country, especially in the night as some of them use the unregistered cars to commit so many offences and runoff.

According to him, all unregistered vehicles by law are not suppose to be on the road after 7pm, but the situation has become an issued as some of the drivers with such vehicles often disrespect officers at the traffic and speed off to escape arrest when caught offending traffic regulation.

He therefore warned that, henceforth, all unregistered vehicles would not be allowed to drive on the road after 7:00pm and should not also have more than two persons in the car at a time.

Mr. Awuni also debunked the media report that, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has directed the police not to check people with fake license or expired road worthy on traffic.

According to the MTTU commander, the IGP statement was misquoted, saying the directive was aimed at admonishing officers not to spend much time in examining license and other documents on an arrested traffic offender, but to also look at other offences been committed on the roads.

He told the Enquirer that, a message has been sent to all MTTU offices, both regional and districts commanders to ensure that, the misquoted directives affect their work, stressing that checking of license is the initial way of checking illegal drivers on the road.

The MTTU commander therefore advised the general public, especially motor bike riders and vehicles drivers to observe the traffic laws and regulation, especially the coming general elections.

He said, the MTTU aimed was to maintain sanity on the roads and warned that, no one would be left off the hook when found of committing or offending the traffic regulations.