A former Chief Director at the Ministry of Works and Housing, Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu, has been brought from Yendi in the Northern Region to Accra in a wheelchair to face 43 criminal charges. The former Chief Director is currently incapable of moving on his own due to ill-health, but was ordered on Monday to appear before the Economic and Financial Court ‘1’ yesterday.
Alhaji Yakubu, together with others – Alhaji Collins Dauda, a former Housing Minister and Member of Parliament (MP), Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah, also a former Minister, Andrew Clocanas, Executive Chairman of Construtora OAS, and Nouvi Tetteh Angelo, Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) – have been charged with a total of 70 counts.
The counts are wilfully causing financial loss to the Republic; issuing false certificate and intentionally misapplying public property. However, Alhaji Yakubu is facing 25 counts of causing financial loss to the Republic.
Although the two former ministers, as well as Andrew and Angelo’s pleas of not guilty had since been taken, Alhaji Yakubu’s plea was taken yesterday. The latter pleaded not guilty to all of the counts. His plea delayed due to his ill-health, which allegedly hampered his appearance before the trial court previously.
The five are being tried for allegedly leading the country to lose $200 million in the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project. The Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Dr Ernest Owusu Dapaah, granted Alhaji Yakubu’s application for the trial to be conducted in his absence, due to the same reason of his ill-health.
The application generated quite a heated legal argument between the prosecution, led by Hilda Craig, and Godwin Tamekloe, defence counsel for Alhaji Yakubu. Before the suit was adjourned to June 12, the court ordered the prosecution to put its house in order regarding other witnesses they were yet to file their witness statements.
