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Former Finanace Minister calls for charges to be dropped

Gideon Sackitey


Accra, July 10, Ghanadot. - Mr. Kwame Peprah, the former Minister of Finance, who spent four years in jail across the country for causing financial loss to the state, but pardoned some three years ago has appealed to an Accra Fast Track High Court to dismiss charges against him.

He is currently facing charges alongside the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, and three others for allegedly causing financial loss to the state in the divestiture of the GIHOC Cannery at Nsawam.

Mr Peprah, also a former Minister of Mines and Energy, has pleaded not guilty to the charge of intentionally causing loss to public property.

Mr Peprah and Mrs Rawlings are on trial alongside three others, namely, Emmanuel Amuzu Agbodo, the then Executive Secretary of the DIC, Thomas Benson Owusu, former DIC Accountant Madam Sherry Ayittey, Managing Director of Caridem Development Company Limited, and Caridem as an entity.

 

According to the court they are facing various charges of conspiracy, causing financial loss to public property, conspiracy to obtain public property by false statement and obtaining public property by false statement.

The five persons are alleged to have caused financial loss to the state running into billions of cedis in respect of a public property following the acquisition of GIHOC Cannery, a government cannery, by Caridem Limited, owned by the 31st December Women's Movement (DWM), in 1995 when it was divested by the DIC.

The prosecution said the accused persons failed to pay interest which accrued on an outstanding balance of 7,069 billion cedis, amounting to ¢2,191 billion cedis to the DIC in respect of the sale of GIHOC Nsawam Cannery, which resulted in the financial loss.

Mr Peprah argues in his application that: "the decision to divest the interest and the Presidential approval were made and given before I became Chairman of the Governing Body of the Committee".

"This honourable court must acquit and discharge me of charges in this case and make a further order prohibiting the government, the Attorney-General and all governmental agencies from disturbing me in matters relating to the performance of my functions as Chairman of the Governing Board."

Mr Peprah who has not been heard since been pardoned by President John Kufuor also said he has been indemnified against court proceedings in respect of any act or omission arising out of the disposal of the GIHOC Nsawam Cannery by reason and operation of Section 15 of the Divestiture of State Interests (Implementation) Act, 1993 PNDCL 326.

Mr Peprah also former Chairman of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC), described the charges as illegal saying he performed his duties in conjunction with the law.


"The duty I performed with regard to the divestiture of the Nsawam Cannery was a duty commended by law and a refusal to do it would have been unlawful".

An affidavit accompanying the application, to be heard on Thursday, July 12, 2007, said the applicant was obliged to sign instruments once the President had approved recommendations to them making it legal and correct to do.

Monday’s hearing of the case had to be adjourned to Thursday to enable prosecution to obtain a copy of the application which it had not received yet.

Larry Adjetey, a Director/Secretary of Caridem, George Mould, a Director of Caridem and Georgina Okaiteye, a Director/General Manager of Caridem Development Company Limited were discharged earlier following withdrawal of charges against them by the prosecution.

The five accused have pleaded not guilty to the charges and are on self-recognisance bail.

Gideon Sackitey, ACCRA, July 10, 2007, Ghanadot.com


 

 

 

 

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