Mrs. Rawlings and others charges to stay

By William Yaw Owusu

Saturday June 3, 2007
THE charges preferred against the Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings and four others who are being tried for their alleged involvement in the divestiture of Nsawam Cannery may not be reviewed after all.

This follows a submission by Ms Gertrude Aikins, acting Director of Public Prosecutions, yesterday that the prosecution had decided to go ahead with the case without reviewing the charges because of what she described as “a trial by the radio/FM stations.”

She said since the prosecution announced its intention to review and substitute the charges preferred against Mrs Rawlings and the 10 accused, there had been many comments in the media which did not promote fair trial.

“There is nothing against compressing charges against accused persons. We are ready to start the case and put the speculations to rest,” she said.

At this point, Nana Agyei Ampofo and Tony Lithur, both defence counsel, took turns to express concerns about the manner the prosecution was handling the trial, and questioned why the prosecution could not keep its promise to amend the charge sheet.

But the court, presided over by Justice Paul Baffoe Bonnie of the Court of Appeal, said as much as the media had the right to fairly comment on the issue, all parties in the case including the court, were not supposed to be influenced by “what goes on outside this court .”

The judge further said that the defence counsel had every right to object to the prosecution’s position but added that they could not begrudge the prosecution if they decided to proceed with the trial without amending the charge sheet.

Ms Rawlings is being tried together with Emmanuel Amuzu Agbodo, former Executive Secretary of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC); Thomas Benson Owusu, former DIC Accountant; Kwame Peprah, former Finance Minister and DIC Chairman, and Hanny Sherry Ayittey, Director of Carridem Development Company Limited (CDCL).

They were originally charged with Georgina Okaiteng, a Director; George Mould, a Director, and Larry Adjetey, a Director/Secretary; all of CDCL but the Attorney General withdrew the charges against the three under section 9 of Act 30 of the Criminal Code.

All the accused persons have been charged with 30 counts of conspiracy, causing financial loss to a public property, intentionally causing loss to a public property, conspiracy to obtain public property by false statement and obtaining public property by false statement.

They have all pleaded not guilty and are on self cognisance bail.

Mrs Rawlings and her co-accused persons with the exception of Owusu were present in the court which was filled by
sympathisers including former President J.J. Rawlings.

Lapses in security once again came to the fore as there was not a single police man to maintain order in the court.

The sympathisers who thronged the premises in their numbers chanted slogans right in front of the courtroom prompting the judge at certain points to ask whether there was the presence of the police to maintain order.

Guards of the former President had to step in to maintain order but that could not even deter the sympathisers.

The guards also had to screen identity cards of journalists before they were allowed to enter the court room.

There was also the presence of a foreign media from London who was openly seen filming proceedings.