The Chief of Essipong, Nana Kofi Abuna V, has been charged with defrauding by false pretence and fraudulent breach of trust, after she allegedly received GHC3, 209,041.66 being payment for compensation of stool lands by both Ghana Gas and Ghana Grid Company, but paid the money into her private account instead of the stool account.
The chief, who pleaded not guilty to the two charges, has consequently been granted a GHC 2 milion bail, with three sureties to be justified last Thursday, at the Court, presided over by Michael Cudjoe Ampadu.
PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE
According to Supt. Stephen Adom, the prosecutor, the accused between December 2018 with intent to defraud, gave her personal Cal Bank Takoradi branch account details to Ghana Gas and Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCO) instead of providing them with the stool bank account, in collecting from the two companies cheques with a total face value of GHC 3,209,041.66 meant for the Essipong Stool, a representation the accused knew at that time was false.
Supt. Stephen Adom further told the court that the complainant in the case is the head of the family of Essipong Royal stool and in the year 2018, the government of Ghana contracted Ghana Gas and GRIDCO to undertake construction of gas pipelines in Sekondi-Takoradi.
Due to this infrastructural development, about 13.5 acres of Essipon stool lands were affected, hence a compensation of GHC3, 209,041.66 was paid by the Government through Ghana Gas and GRIDCO respectively to the Essipon stool.
The Prosecutor again told the court that the accused, without the consent of the complainant and other royal family elders, opened a personal account with CAL Bank Takoradi and received the cheques meant for the payments of the Essipon stool.
Both companies, Prosecutor told the court, issued cheques to the accused for payment to be made into the said personal account of the accused unknowingly, believing that the account was that of the royal Essipon stool.Complainant got information payments had been effected into accused persons account.
In view of this development, a report was made to the Police and accused was invited to assist in police investigations.
Prosecutor Adom told the court that, the accused, in her caution statement confessed to having received cheques from the said companies and paid same into her personal bank account, instead of paying the cheques into the royal Essipon stool accounts.
Accused, during investigation could, however, not account for the money she fraudulently received on behalf of the Essipon stool.
After thorough investigation, accused was charged and arraigned before court.
Counsel for the accused, Constantine Kudzidzi, expressed shock over the charge slapped on her client by the Police, arguing that at the appropriate time he would prove that the charges do not hold.
The Court has, however, adjourned the case to December 15, 2022.
CIVIL ACTION
The accused is already facing a civil suit at a Sekondi High Court over the said money.
Dr. Ayeetey, who is the head of the royal Essipongstool, mounted the civil action as plaintiff, with the embattled chief as respondent.
After hearing arguments by both plaintiff and respondent through their counsel, the Court ordered respondent to pay GHC1million into the account of the court, pending the final determination of the suit.
The respondent paid 60% of the sum and later filed a motion for extension of time to pay the remainder.
But the court, presided over by Justice Afia Nyarko, dismissed respondent’s motion and ordered her to pay the remaining amount in a period of two weeks.
