MP granted bail in gold case

Saturday, May 1, 2010
By Stephen Kwabena Effah

The Accra Circuit Court yesterday granted the Member of Parliament for Sene, Felix Twumasi-Appiah, a GH¢100,000 self-cognisance bail in case in which he is charged with fraud and stealing in an alleged gold deal.

His accomplice, Juan Carlos, who is a Spanish, was also granted a GH¢150 bail with three sureties in view of the fact that he is not a Ghanaian citizen.

The court presided over by Mr.D.E.K. Daketse, had earlier given the two persons a GH¢100,000 bail each with two justified sureties in the case of Carlos but rescinded the decision following the plea of their counsel, Joshua Nimako to the effect that Mr.Twumasi-Appiah is an MP and also the fact that the sureties for Carlos was a bit harsh.

The two are facing three provisional counts of conspiracy to commit crime, defrauding by false pretences and stealing but their plea have not been taken.

When the court resumed sitting yesterday after Thursday’s abrupt end following a near fire outbreak at the court premise, Mr.Nimako told the court that by the next adjourned date of May 18, “the matter would have been put to rest”

According to him, there has been new development in the case noting that have begun paying the 30,000 dollars involved in the case, saying “the money is almost paid”
He therefore prayed the court to grant his clients bail, noting that Mr.Twumasi-Appiah is an MP and the fact that they were willing to abide by whatever conditions the court may deem fit.

But ASP. Dery urged the court to take into account the fact that Carlos is not a Ghanaian, and for that matter he (Carlos) should be asked to provide sufficient sureties.

It is the prosecution’s case that the complainant, Juan Francisco Lozano, is a Spanish businessman who was on a visit to Ghana to transact business while Juan Carlos, is also a businessman and Mr.Twumasi-Appiah an MP

He said in March 2010, a certain Nana Kwame Donkor, another businessman, had a transaction with Mr. Lozano for his company to supply the latter with gold worth 160,000 dollars in three tranches.

However after two supplies, Nana Donkor was unable to supply the third tranche of gold and therefore promised to refund the remaining money to the complainant.

ASP Dery said Nana Donkor contacted the MP to help in the transfer of the money back to the complainant in installments, since it was not possible to transfer the amount in cash through the banks, hence two blank cheques were signed and left for the suspects to facilitate the transfer.

The prosecution said the money was to get to Spain through two persons who were called Ibrahim and Ishmael, and when the complainant sent the money through the account of the two persons in Spain, they bolted with it.

In addition, Nana Donkor paid 30,000 dollars as part payment to the police for the money to be given to the complainant.

According to the prosecution, the MP got Carlos to go to the office of the Unit Commander of Commercial Unit, ASP Yaa Tiwaa Danso, where Carlos claimed that Mr. Lozano was sick and could not come to Ghana, hence instructed him to collect the money on his behalf.

ASP Dery noted that it was after contacting Nana Donkor for the remaining money that the complainant was told that it had been given to the police to be given to him.
As a result, he said, the complainant contacted the police and he was told the money had been sent to him through his friend Carlos.