Trial of Collins Dauda, others take shape

A Criminal Division of an Accra High Court, presided over by Her Ladyship Justice El-Freda Dankyi, has ordered State prosecutors to file and serve Collins Dauda, Kweku Agyeman Mensah and three others with all processes, disclosures and witness statements within three weeks.

The former Ministers, Alhaji Collins Dauda and Kweku Agyeman Mensah, are being prosecuted together with then Chief Director Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu, Executive Chairman of Constructura OAS Ghana Limited, Andrew Clocanas, and Nouvi Tetteh Angelo.

The former Ministers of Works and Housing as well as three others have been charged, among other crimes, for causing financial loss to the state in the infamous Saglemi Affordable Housing project deal.

They are facing charges of intentionally misapplying public property, causing financial loss to the state and issuing of false certificates in the Saglemi Affordable Housing project, which involved the sum of $200 million.

When the case was called before the court yesterday, the prosecution, led by Hilda Craig, a Senior State Attorney, told the court that they had already filed some disclosures in the early hours of yesterday, and would need three weeks to conclude on the overall filing.

“We filed some of the disclosures this morning (Wednesday), and that of the accused persons will be served on them or their counsel, hopefully, by close of day, today (Wednesday),” she said.

“We still have some few documents to file, and we are appealing to the court to grant us a three-week adjournment, subject to the court’s convenience, for us to conclude the filing of our disclosures,” Hilda Craig added.

Piece mail disclosures

Counsel for one of the accused, Edudzi Tamakloe, argued that the prosecution should be given enough time to avoid what he described as “piece mail disclosures.”

“My lady, my learned friend just intimated to the court that they have filed some disclosures this morning and, therefore, wants us to come back in three week’s time, … in order to avoid the situation of piecemeal disclosures…we are praying the court to accommodate the Republic to the ending of March so that they can avoid such piecemeal disclosures,” he said.

He prayed the court to allow the prosecution to be given up to the end of March so that they can put all their cases together so that once case management processes begin, all parties will be aware of the nature of accusations before the courts.

The Court, after hearing from the parties, ordered the prosecution to ensure that disclosure documents are served on the defence within three weeks.

The case has been adjourned to March 2, 2022 for Case Management Conference.

Bail

The five accused persons have been charged for causing financial loss to the state, and they have pleaded not guilty in all 52 counts of charges.

While Alhaji Collins Dauda was admitted to a self-recognisance bail, Kweku Agyeman Mensah, and Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu were granted bail of $65 million each.

In addition, they are to produce three sureties, one of whom should be a public officer.

Andrew Clocanas, who is the fourth accused person, was also admitted to bail in the sum of $179 million, with three sureties, one of whom should be a public servant.

Nouvi Tetteh Angelo, the fifth accused person, was admitted to bail of $13M dollars with three sureties.