James Kofi Annan, NDC PC for Effutu
The Effutu constituency parliamentary candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress, James Kofi Annan, is hot as prison sentence stares him in the face few days into the December 7 general election.
The parliamentary candidate is currently standing criminal trial at Winneba District Court for ‘dishonestly’ receiving and appropriating an amount of GHc100,000, contrary to Sections 124 and 147 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and money laundering.
The case
According to Winneba Police Command, James Annan received GH¢100,000 into his account from a different account when he knew it was mistakenly paid into the said account.
According to Chief Superintendent Samuel Kofi Asiedu Okanta, Winneba District Police Commander, the police made several calls and attempt to reach out to James Kofi Annan but he wouldn’t respond to their calls.
He indicated that several invitations were sent to Annan but he declined them.
A Ghanaian, Benjamin Ackah, on March 18, 2020, lodged a complaint at Winneba Police Command that, without his permission, an amount of GH¢100, 000 had been transferred from his account into an account belonging to the NDC parliamentary candidate.
Kofi Annan was arraigned before Winneba District Court to answer to charges of stealing, abetment of crime and dishonestly receiving.
Meanwhile, Mr Annan has denied claims of being a thief. According to him, contrary to police claims that he dishonestly used money which is not his, he insists a prominent sub-chief in the Central Region donated the said amount to support his association, “Winneba is King Movement”, for specific activities in the Effutu constituency long before he became the parliamentary candidate of the NDC.
The money, Kofi Annan, said was paid in two equal installments, one on February 7, 2020, through the Consolidated Bank Ghana, and the other on the February 14, 2020 via the same bank.
Court case
Notwithstanding the denial, Isaac Oheneba Kuffour, the presiding judge of the case, has ordered that Mr Annan’s bank statement be secured and tendered before the court.
Sources say should Mr Annan lose the case, he would pass for prison sentence before the December 7 general election.
This, sources within Mr Annan’s team, say is giving the NDC PC sleepless night, especially as the date for the general election draws nigh.
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