Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com
By
William Yaw Owusu
Friday, August 29, 2014
The Commission of Enquiry investigating the payment
of judgement debts has commenced the interrogation of people who put in claims
to collect huge sums in respect of the Volta Basin Flooded Area following the construction
of the Akosombo Dam in the 1960s.
Cabinet in July 2008 approved a consolidated amount
of compensation totaling GH¢138million for various stools/families in Pai,
Apaaso, Makango, Ahmandi and Kete Krachi Traditional Areas and about 57 groups
were said to have benefited from the amount.
However, when the first batch of prospective
witnesses testified before the commission yesterday, it was clear some of the
payments appeared to have been made under suspicious circumstances.
It was an interesting sight when Sole-Commissioner
Justice Yaw Apau of the Court of Appeal assisted by Dometi Kofi Sorkpor,
counsel for the commission took turns to grill the witnesses.
Nchunea
Clan
The first to appear was Jacob Bewah Donkor, who said
he represented the Nchunea Clan from the Krachi Traditional Area where a total
of about GH¢2.1million was released to him in tranches.
Flanked by his counsel Kwame Yankyera, the witness
claimed the submerged portion of the Volta Lake measuring 49,792.7 acres belonged
to the clan and he had the power of attorney to represent them at the Lands
Commission.
No
Date
He then tendered in evidence a site plan but there
was no date on when it was prepared and could also not present the original plan
out of which the exhibit he tendered was prepared from.
Interestingly, the witness claimed he was
representing the Nchunea Clan but the site plan based on which the amount was
released had the names of himself and one Bob Yaw as owning the entire land and
not the clan.
When asked by the Sole-Commissioner to explain the
anomaly, Jacob Bewah Donkor said “we were only given a letter that we should
represent them.”
Wrong
Claim
Justice Apau pointed it out to him that it was wrong
for the witness to claim that he collected the money in the name of the clan
when there was documentary evidence to show that the land was in his name
saying “if you say you clan nominated you why don’t you have the clan’s name on
the plan.”
The commission also pointed it out to the witness
that the document he presented for the money to be released had kept changing
the acreage of the land from 49,792.7, 45,000 and finally to 40,000 but the
witness replied that it was an arrangement between the families but the
Commissioner said it was irregular.
Questionable
Documents
Justice Apau then remarked that “the documents
before the commission clearly shows that some of these claimants submitted
questionable documents and got money,” but Lawyer Yankyera insisted that “they
have never acted in anyway to show they fraudulently took the money.”
The witness then admitted that his clan was
resettled by the government during the flooding in the 1960s and the commission
made it clear that their instant claim was in contravention of the Volta River
Development Act, Act 46.
Kianan
& Kono Clans
Kwame Gyane and Jacob Bia from the Kianan and Kono
clans respectively also testified and claimed they were given a power of
attorney to chase the compensation.
It emerged that the Kianan Clan claimed a land size
of 6860.69 acres while Kono Clan had 13,333.69 bringing the total to 20,194.58
acres.
The site plan was in the name of three persons Nana
Abiam Danso, Kofi Mensah Dometi and Martin Kwabena Tawiah yet they made the
claim in the name of Kianan, Kono of Krachi.
Kwame Gyane admitted that he collected the money in
four tranches from 2009 to 2013 and it totaled GH¢1.717million even though
Justice Apau said that official documents showed the witness collected less
than he was paid.
The commission also made it clear to the witnesses
that the Cabinet’s letter did not even mention Kianan and Kono clans and that
the clans were resettled under the programmed when the Dam was built and could
not have turned around to make claim cash compensation five decades down the
lane.
Pepetia
Clan
Nana Kpakore aka Mr. Mambo who claims to be the
Regent of Kakwagya Stool and double as the Zonal Coordinator of NADMO in the
area also testified.
He said he represented the Pepetia Clan to claim
3000 acres adding that he collected GH¢159,000 in four tranches as compensation.
He said his clan was never settled when the dam was
constructed adding “we resettled ourselves at Grubi.”
No comments:
Post a Comment