Deeba To Be Extradited To UK

Stephen Kwabena Effah
June 8, 2013

A Magistrate Court in Accra yesterday ordered the extradition of popular hip-life musician, Deeba Acheampong, to the United Kingdom where is alleged to have raped his eight-year old step daughter.

The Interior Ministry is expected to prepare the extradition order as per yesterday’s ruling for the court’s approval before Deeba, who has a 15-day window of appeal, is extradited to the UK.

His lawyer, Augustine Obour told journalists after proceedings that he would apply for a copy of the ruling by the Magistrate, Aboagye Tandoh, and consider the next line of action to take in the case.

The Ghanaian fugitive has been fighting extradition since his arrest in January this year at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra during an undercover operation for alleged rape and assault of his step daughters.

The court said yesterday that it found as a fact that prima facie case has been made against Deeba on the five counts of defilement under Ghanaian laws ( under UK laws, the offence fall under rape) which was preferred against him for the purposes of the extradition proceedings.

“Having considered the totality of the evidence, I am of a candid opinion that a prima facie case has been made against him on the charges of defilement,” Mr. Tandoh said and remanded Deeba to Prison custody pending this extradition.

The court, however, discharged Deeba on the one count of assault since it found no sufficient basis for that charge under Ghanaian laws to meet the extradition law.

This means that Deeba upon his extradition would be tried only on the charges of rape.

According to the court, the charge of rape as Deeba was charged under the UK laws and defilement under Ghanaian laws is within the scope under the Extradition Act 22, 1960, indicating that the charge is not politically motivated.

“I find as a fact per a summary of evidence before me that the charges are not politically motivated,” Mr. Tandoh said.

The Magistrate rejected the defence team’s claim that Ghana and UK has no extradition agreement, noting that Ghana upon attainment of independence from the British rule inherited an extradition agreement between the Britain and UK.

In December 2012, INTERPOL Accra received a request of arrest warrant from its counterpart in London to the effect that between 2005 and 2008, while living in the UK, the accused person had a relationship with a woman who already had two daughters, aged eight and six, from her previous relationship.

Subsequently Deeba and the woman had two children from their union.

Initially, they lived separately but when the woman went on night shift Deeba took care of the home and cared for the children.

That, prosecutors said, continued until September 2008 when Deeba returned to Ghana to pursue his musical career.

But two weeks after his departure from the UK, Deeba’s step-daughter told her mother that her Deeba had sexual intercourse with her on several occasions whenever her mother went to work at night.

According to prosecutors, on those occasions, Deeba invited the girl into the bedroom to watch pornographic films with him, after which he would lay her on the bed, kiss her mouth, apply baby oil on his penis and have sex with her.

The little girl also alleged that the accused person sometimes had anal sex with her and that after each act he put a sanitary towel in her panties to avoid evidence of bloodstains and also hid his stained bed sheet.

She further alleged that Deeba threatened to beat her if she disclosed the acts to anyone.

Deeba, prosecutors said, assaulted the little girl’s sister between June 1 and 4, 2008 when she attempted to satisfy her inquisitiveness about what was happening to her sister and that led to a cut on the back of the girl’s head.

A medical examination on the little girl by a forensic physician, Dr. Ainsley Kassie, revealed extensive damage to her hymen as a result of vaginal penetration.

Deeba was said to have denied the offence when he was confronted by his fiancée, who later lodged a complaint with the Police, following which a warrant was issued by the Northampton-Shire Magistrate’s Court for the arrest of the accused person.

Deeba was arrested at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra during an undercover operation.

He has, however, denied the offence in his caution statement to the Police

Of Banners and Spellings

Produce Police Officer: Court Orders BNI, AG

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
January 10, 2012

The Human Rights Court has ordered the Director of Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the Attorney-General (AG) to produce Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Gifty Mawuenyega before the court tomorrow to justify why she is being held in custody.

DSP Mawuenyega, who is the Deputy Commander at the Commercial Crime Unit at the Police CID Headquarters, is being held for her alleged involvement in the cocaine-turned-baking soda saga that led to the acquittal and discharge of the suspect, Nana Ama Martins.

However, following an ex-parte motion for an order of habeas corpus, the court presided over by Justice Kofi Essel Mensah, ruled yesterday that the reason for DSP Mawuenyega’s continuous detention was unknown.

He consequently ordered the two respondents to produce the body of DSP Mawuenyega to show cause to the court as to why she had not been granted bail since December 29, when she was detained by the BNI

Moving the motion yesterday, counsel for DSP Mawuenyega, Mr. Oliver K. A. Dzeble, told the court that his client who is a police officer was arrested by the BNI on December 29, 2011 and has since been in custody.

According to him, DSP Mawuenyega is only suspected to have played a role in the trial of a narcotic suspect, Nana Ama Martins, who was acquitted and discharged by an Accra Circuit Court.

He described as “unreasonable,” the continuous detention of his client beyond the 48 hours prescribed under Article 14 of the constitution, and argued that “the reason for her detention does not constitute a criminal offence.”

DSP Mawuenyega’s arrest followed investigations commenced by the BNI to establish the circumstance under which the cocaine, which had been tendered in evidence as exhibit, mysteriously turned into sodium bicarbonate.

The investigation was ordered by President John Evans Atta Mills, and the BNI has since January 6, presented its report to the President. The contents of the report are yet to be made public.

17 Granted Bail Over La Riot

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
January 10,2012

The 17 persons arrested for their alleged illegal take over of the La Pleasure Beach Resort in Accra from the legitimate operators have been granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court, warning that it will rescind the bail in the event of any unrest in the area.

Each of them was granted GH¢5,000-bail with two sureties yesterday after they had all pleaded not guilty to two counts of being on the premises for unlawful purposes and offensive conduct with the intent to breach the peace.

They are Abdul Rashid Boi-Nai, Roland Tetteh Fio, Eric Ofoli Quaye, Anum Feehi, Robert Moffat, Samuel Annang Laryea, Ako Sowah, David Nai Mensah and Leeford Vemo Tetteh.

The rest are Ako Odoi, Norbert A.Sowa, Nicholas Adjei Annan, Henry Abbey, Abraham Tetteh, Jonathan Adjei Laryea, Dornu Abbey and Sowa Tawiah.

Counsel for the accused persons, Mohammed Sahnoon, informed the court yesterday that the complainants in the case, the La Traditional Council, had approached the respondents to have the matter settled out of court.

But the prosecutor in the case, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) E.Y Frimpong told the court that it had not been brought to his notice, saying “I am not aware of any move to settle the case, the complainant has not indicated to me of any settlement”.

All the same, he said he would consult with the complainants on the new development and accordingly inform the court presided over by Ms. Audrey Kocuvie-Tay on the next adjourned date of January 18.

The case as presented to the court was that the accused persons violently and unlawfully took over the management and operation of the La Pleasure Beach Resort from the legitimate operators.

According to the prosecution, without any authority, the 17 went to the resort and took over from the legitimate toll collectors.

The prosecution told the court that prior to the arrest of the accused persons, the La Traditional Council wrote to the Police to complain of the accused persons’ behaviour and requested for their intervention.

Consequently, the Police on January 4, embarked on operational duties at the resort and arrested the accused persons who were said to be obstructing the officers of the resort from performing their legitimate duties.

“The accused persons had not lodged any previous complaints to the council for which the council failed to act, warranting their illegal take over of the La Pleasure Beach Resort,” the police told the court.

The prosecution said they also did not have any authority empowering them to sack the officers who had been assigned by the La Traditional Council to man the resort.

Girl, 15, Consults Herbalist at Mid-Night Gets Defiled

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
January 6, 2012

A 15-year old girl who aborted a planned December 31 All-Night Church Service to consult a herbalist for retentive memory to enable her to do well in class, rather ended up been sexually assaulted by the 25-year-old herbalist.

The herbalist, Gamado Sylvanus, also known as “Scorpion,” is said to have bathed the girl (name withheld) with a concoction prepared with leaves after which he put some of the leaves under a pillow in his bedroom and asked the victim to sleep on it.

The victim then fell asleep at which point “Scorpion” allegedly had sex with her, and gave her GH 1 the next morning as transportation from Tabora to her house at New Achimota in Accra.
“Scorpion” was arrested by the police and was yesterday arraigned before the Accra gender-based violence court and charged for defilement.

His plea was not taken and had been remanded in police custody to assist in investigations. He is to January 9.

ASP Sarah Acquah told the court, presided over by Justice Georgina Mensah-Datsa, that the victim lives with her guardian at New Achimota while the accused, lives at Tabora, all suburbs of Accra.

On December 31, 2011, she said the victim contacted “Scorpion” that she wanted rituals for retentive memory, following which he called her on phone at about 11:00pm to come to his house for the said rituals.

According to the prosecution, the victim told “Scorpion” that she was attending a an all-might church service with her friends but, aborted it and went to “Scorpion’s” house.

At the place, ASP Acquah said “Scorpion” put some concoction prepared with leaves in water and bathed the victim with it after which he put other leaves under a pillow in his bedroom and asked the victim to sleep on it.

“The accused then had sexual intercourse with the victim while she was asleep. When she woke up on January 1, 2012 at about 6:00am, she felt abdominal pains and realsied that someone had had sex with her,” ASP Acquah told the court.

She said when the victim questioned “Scorpion” as to why he had sex with her; Scorpion could not give any reason and gave her GH 1 for transport to her house.

ASP Acquah told the court that the victim informed her guardian about her ordeal when she got home and the matter was reported to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Police which issued her with a medical form for examination.

“Scorpion” was later arrested and charged for court.

Man Cries Foul- eight-month pregnant wife dies from doc's action

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
January 5, 2012

An alleged gross negligence of a doctor and medical staff of the Kwesimentsim Polyclinic in the Western Region has caused the death of a pregnant woman.

The medical doctor, Dr. Mensah, is said to have gone ahead to give medication to the woman, Ama Adjei, to induce her eight months pregnancy regardless of a pending result of a series of laboratory tests, causing her to vomit and bleed to death.

The husband of the deceased, Samuel Effah, a lecturer at the Takoradi Polytechnic Business School, has consequently petitioned the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Services, Ghana Medical Association and the Polyclinic to investigate the circumstances that led to the death of wife.

The petition, a copy of which was made available to the press is urging the institutions to investigate the decision to induce the deceased to deliver 35 a weeks pregnancy on the weekend, failure of doctors to attend to his wife when she was bleeding, the absence of personnel to administer blood to his wife and the delay in referring her on time among other concerns.

Recounting the events that led to his wife’s death, Mr. Effah said on December 8, 2011 his wife reported to the poly clinic with headache and was admitted because her blood pressure was said to have been very high.

Mr. Effah said the doctor prescribed a number of drugs for the wife but they could not get two of the drugs from the clinic pharmacy so they were asked to buy them from outside.

He said when he went to a pharmacy shop to get the drugs; a pharmacist told him that one of the medications (Tab Dexamethasons 12G Bd. X2) could be a wrong prescription since the dosage is too high.

In the circumstance, he said he made attempts to reach the doctor on his mobile phone but to no avail and could not also meet him at the poly clinic when he went back to inform him about the development.

He said a nurse on duty at the time, one Maame Esi, told them that the clinic did not even administer tablets of the said drug, so they decided not to buy the poly drug until they had had confirmation from the doctor.

Mr.Effah said that on the next day, December 9, 2011, when he went back to the poly clinic, Maame Esi informed him that “the doctor who prescribed the drug has confirmed that it was a mistake on his part so he has changed it and administered new drug”.

On December 10, 2011, he said Dr. Mensah invited him through his wife to the poly clinic where he was informed that his wife’s blood pressure was fluctuating and that the doctor told him that it could affect the unborn baby and his wife.

“The doctor accordingly suggested to us that the safest thing to do was to induce my wife to deliver in order to prevent the risk of death”, Mr. Effah told the Times.

He said Dr. Mensah told him that since the pregnancy was 35 weeks, old the inducement would not affect the unborn baby and the deceased.

“The doctor said with the inducement, the mother could deliver by herself or could be operated if it became possible,” he said, adding that once the doctor assured him it was safe, he gave the go ahead for the procedure.

Mr. Effah said he then informed the Dr. Mensah about the laboratory test his wife did and the results of which they were awaiting, but the doctor told him “he was okay without the laboratory test results”.

He said when he visited his wife in the afternoon, she had started vomiting. Later in the evening, he said Maame Esi who had then signed off duty called him on his phone to inform him that she needed to give the one who took over from her some information.

According to him, when he enquired as to whether there was a problem, Maame Esi insisted on speaking to the one on duty.

At about 6:30 pm, he said his wife called him on phone to bring her food but when he got there, the nurse on duty prevented him from seeing her since according to the nurse, they had given her a bottle of coke and that the deceased was okay.

Mr. Effah said while waiting, the nurse informed him that his wife’s blood pressure had gone up and bleeding at the same time, contending that the nurse told him that several attempts to reach Dr. Mensah on phone proved futile.

He said the nurse further told him that his wife needed blood transfusion but when they went to the blood bank, the officer in charge to administer the blood was not there and several attempts to get the officer on phone proved futile.

He said at that point, he requested that his wife be transferred to the nearest hospital in view of the emergency nature of her condition, adding “the nurse said she needed a medical doctor to authorize the transfer”.

According to Mr. Effah, the nurse told him that there was no doctor available, so that could not transfer the patient.

However, he said another nurse came around and insisted that the patient be transferred to Efia-Nkwanta Hospital.

Again, he said when the transfer processes were ready after about 30 minutes; they could not get an ambulance.

“As the ambulance was not forthcoming and my wife’s condition was getting worse, I rushed out to get a taxi cab to convey my wife to Efiankwanta Hospital,” he said adding that he was informed upon arrival that his wife was dead already.

He said on December 12, he reported to the hospital to collect a report on his wife’s death and when he enquired about the cause of death, Dr. Mensah told him that she died as a result of loss of blood.

“I asked why he did not come to perform the operation when my wife could not deliver and he said it was too late and risky. He said blood transfusion could have saved her life”.

DON'T WASTE OUR TIME- Judge tells STX partner as she throws out suit

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
December 22, 2011

The legal action brought against the STX Korean partners to disengage them from taking part in the execution of the STX housing project was yesterday dismissed by the Accra Commercial Court on technical and procedural grounds.

The court described the action as “incompetent in law” and a waste of the court’s time, and accordingly awarded a cost of GH¢3,000 against the Ghanaian partner, B.K. Asamoah who initiated the action.

The parties had on November 15, informed the court that they had agreed to negotiate to resolve the shareholding impasse which had resulted in the legal tussle to pave the way for commencement of the project.

However, the court which was expected to hear and adopt the terms of the settlement was informed yesterday that the proposed negotiations between Mr. Asamoah and his Korean partners, STX Korea, had broken down.

Sources close to the Korean partners told the Times after court proceedings that they did not agree with the terms which were drafted and sent to them in Korea to assent.

The court presided over by Justice (Mrs.) Gertrude Torkornoo therefore compelled the Ghanaian partner to move his application which sought a declaration that by the Korean partners’ failure to comply with the country’s investment statute, they cannot be shareholders in STX Ghana to operate in Ghana.

Moving the application, counsel for the Ghanaian counterparts, Carl Adongo, argued that STX Korea ought not to be allowed to operate in Ghana because they have failed to satisfy the requirements under the Ghana Investment Promotion Council Act.

According to him, STX Korea failed to pay its equity contribution in STX Ghana as required under the law, pointing out that the about 10,000-dollar wired to STX Ghana through the Bank of Ghana was a loan granted the Ghanaian partner.

He showed the court e-mail communication in which the Koreans demanded full repayment of the amount.

“Indeed, it is a loan…it cant be said to be an investment,” he said, and added that even if the amount was indeed their equity contribution, they could not turn round to demand repayment with interest.

He said by their action, the Korean partners have breached the investment statute which cannot be compromised and asked the court to declare them non shareholders in STX Ghana.

However, counsel for the Koreans, Mr. Osarfo Buabeng opposed the application on procedural grounds.

According to him, the Ghanaian partner did not follow the right procedure in instituting the legal action against his client saying that since the applicant is challenging the investment in STX Ghana, he cannot initiate the action under Section 21(7) of the Companies Act.

He contended that the applicant ought to have caused the action to be initiated with a writ instead of the originating motion and therefore asked the court to dismiss it.

Upholding the submission by Mr. Buabeng, Justice Torkornoo chastised Mr. Adongo for using unpalatable words in his pleadings, and not taking a cue from the court’s advice on the technical aspect when his attention was indirectly drawn to it.

The action which was commenced on September 27 is against STX Engineering & Construction, STX Construction Co. Ltd and eight other Koreans appointed by the latter to represent them on the former as directors.

The Ghanaian partner claimed that the Korean counterparts breached their obligations under the Joint Venture Agreement by woefully failing to provide all the technical, engineering and construction expertise required for the project, aside its failure to arrange for finances.

In the motion, the applicant contended that the Korean partners on May 6, 2011 wrote a letter to terminate the Joint Venture Agreement of November 15, 2009 and the heads of agreement between the two partners which it duly accepted.

It said having accepted STX Construction Company Limited’s “unilateral decision” terminating the agreements, it has since ceased to be a partner of the STX Engineering and Construction Ghana Limited, which is to execute construction of 200,000 houses.

By the action of STX Construction, the applicant argued that it has “no right of representation on STX E&C Ghana Limited’s board”.

It claimed that the Korean partners’ breach completely prejudiced the success of the project in that it contravened its statutory obligation to make the appropriate investment by way of direct equity contribution as a partner to the project in terms of its obligation as a foreign investor.

The applicant therefore sought among other reliefs, a declaration that by terminating the Joint Venture Agreement and Heads of Agreement, the respondents have renounced their membership of STX E&C

It is further sought an order of injunction restraining STX Construction Co. Ltd as well as its seven directors from holding itself out and or purporting to act or discharge functions as shareholders of STX E&C.

Opposing the claims, the Korean partners indicated that STX Construction Limited still remains a member of the STX E&C an that all its appointees to the board of STX E&C have acted legally and lawfully at all material times.

They said, STX Construction Co. Ltd has paid fully for its 15,000 shares in STX E&C and remitted to Ghana a total of 1,009,964 dollars of which 15,819.21 dollars has been converted to cedis and credited to STX E&C account as its equity contribution.

Again, the respondents claim that STX Construction Co. Ltd has not executed any transfer of its shares, neither have the shares been affected by any law or statute,.

Besides they contended that the Joint Venture Agreement between STX E&C and STX Construction Co. Ltd was merely transitional and was to operate for only six months.

BNI invites Judge, others

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
December 21, 2o11

The Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) has invited four staff of the Judicial Service, including an Accra Circuit Court judge, to assist in its criminal investigations into the circumstances under which a cocaine exhibit mysteriously turned into baking soda.

The four, Mr. Eric Kyei Baffour, the judge who tried the case, Mr. Yussif Seidu, Deputy Court Registrar of the 28th February Courts, Mr. Daniel Nyatsidzi, and Mr. Mubarak Lawal, Clerk and Interpreter of the trial court, were expected to appear before the BNI yesterday morning.

A letter signed by the Judicial Secretary, Justice Alex B. Acheampong and dated December 19, stated that the Chief Justice Georgina Wood has granted the four staff the permission to report to the BNI Headquarters in Accra on December 20, at 9:00 to assist in the investigations.

Sources close to the invitees told the Times yesterday that the four were unable to report to the bureau as requested because they were appearing before the fact-finding committee set up by the Chief Justice to probe the incident.

Mr. George Asamani, counsel for Mr. Nyatsidzi, told the Times after the committee ended its public hearing yesterday that they had written to the BNI to give them a new date since it was impossible to have appeared when they were before the C.J. Committee.

On his part, Mr. Robert Kinsley Yeboah counsel for said they were going to meet with the BNI yesterday afternoon after the committee sitting.

The BNI investigations was prompted by a directive from Vice President John Mahama following the revelation by an Accra Circuit Court that a total of 1,020 grammes of tested cocaine tendered as evidence in court turned into sodium bicarbonate.

The substance, valued at 44,000 dollars which was initially tested as cocaine at the police forensic laboratory, later turned into baking soda upon a re-test. This led to the discharge of Nana Ama Martins who was being tried for possessing the drug without lawful authority last Tuesday.

The Cocaine Case- Prosecutors Defied C.J's Directive

By Stephen Kwabena Effah December 21, 2011

It has emerged that state prosecutors involved in the mysterious cocaine-turned-baking powder saga defied a directive from the Chief Justice Office to try the case in a High Court, the fact-finding committee probing the incident has heard.

A letter dated August 27, 2008 directed police prosecutors in the case involving Nana Ama Martins who was being held for possessing narcotic drug without lawful authority, to put the case before the Accra Circuit Court One to enable the police finish investigations.

It further asked the police to present the case docket to the Attorney General’s Department after it had finished with its investigations for a high court to be assigned later for the trial.

However, the State Attorney who prosecuted the case, Ms. Stella Arhin, told the committee at its last public hearing yesterday that she continued to try the case at the Circuit Court presided over by Mr. Eric Kyei Baffour because a lot had gone on when she took over the case from the police.

Further, Ms. Arhin who was recalled to be cross-examined on her evidence said she also thought taking the case from the Circuit Court to a High Court would have lengthen the trial, although she prepared the charge sheet in the name of High Court.

She also told the committee that she did not write any advice on the case docket as is the practice when cases are assigned to state attorneys, explaining that upon a study of the docket, she was convinced that they had enough evidence to prosecute so she got in touch with the investigator to get the witnesses ready.

Ms. Arhin admitted that the police cannot prosecute a narcotic case until an advice had come from the A-G Department.

She also told the committee that when the substance was tendered in evidence on September 27, and was opened, she did not smell the peculiar pungent characteristic of cocaine.

In his evidence as the last committee witness to testify, DSP Aidan Dery who handled the prosecution before the A-G took over, confirmed having seen the directive from the Chief Justice’s office.

He said the case was assigned to him in August 2008 and held brief for the A-G until March 2009 when he left the country for a UN mission in Sudan.

According to him, before he left, he handed over all the cases he was conducting including the instance case to another police prosecutor, ASP Mary Agbozo.

“When I returned around March 2010, my commander told me some of the cases I was handling were still pending so I should take over the prosecution of those cases including the Nana Ama Martins case” he said.

Following that directive, he said he went to the Circuit Court where the case was pending to find out the next adjourned date but he said he was told by the court clerk that they were searching for the court docket on the case which could not be traced at the time.

DSP Dery Said he was at the court one day to conduct other cases when the Nana Ama Martins case was called so he announced himself as the prosecutor.

He told the committee that the accused was not in court and upon enquiries, he was told by constable Joseph Owusu who is the investigator that the accused was granted bail by a High Court after which she jumped bail.

“I applied for a bench warrant for the arrest of the accused and it was issued by the current judge, Kyei Baffour,” he told the committee.

At the same time, he said he gave a directive to the investigator to process those who stood surety to be brought to court.

He said that he got to know that Ms Arhin had been assigned to the case on the day that the accused was arrested and put before court and thus linked her to the investigator in the case.

“I must also add that all along when the case was pending, we have done all the necessary things we have to do he said,” he said.

Under cross examination, he said he did not have anything to do with the substance at the time he handled the case, and noted that she did not even see the exhibit before.

Meanwhile, the four-member fact-finding committee ended its sitting yesterday afternoon after a four-day public hearing.

Eleven witnesses testified before the committee which was charged to establish the role played by the trial judge, Mr. Kyei Baffour, and other court officials, including the registrar and court clerk in the matter and other related issues.

Justice Agnes Dordzie, who chaired the committee, thanked all the witnesses for their cooperation and time, noting the committee was going to start evaluating the evidence adduced and prepare its report which would be sent to the Chief Justice.

The committee, which begun sitting on December 15 and was give up to December 22 to finish its work has Justice Abdulla Iddrisu, a High Court Judge, Mr. Nii Boye Quartey, Deputy Director in charge of Human Resource of the Judicial service and John Bannermas, Chief Registrar, as members.

The formation of the committee followed on Accra Circuit Court ruling on December 13 which revealed that a substance which was initially tested as cocaine, later turned into baking soda upon a re-test

The development led to the acquittal and discharged of Nana Ama Martins for possessing the drug without lawful authority.

I'M CLEAN - Says Trial Judge

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
December 20, 2011

The judge, Eric Kyei Baffour, who tried the case in which 1,020 grammes of cocaine exhibit worth 44,000 dollars mysteriously turned into baking soda, has absolved himself from any wrong doing in the case.

“I must say my lords, throughout this trial, I have acted with honesty, truthfulness, integrity and above all my lords, I have exhibited courage, firmness and conviction,” Mr. Kyei Baffour told the fact-finding committee set up to probe the incident.

In a resolute posture, he continued: “I have no dealings whatsoever with how exhibits from the court are kept. All that I know is, there is a cabinet in my chamber where the clerk keeps all the exhibits and he has the key,” he said at the committee when he took his turn yesterday to give evidence.

Mr. Kyei Baffour said when the substance was tendered in evidence by Cpl. Thomas Ayekase on September 27, it was marked as exhibit ‘C’ and after proceedings, put back in the envelope from which it was taken.

According to him, whenever he is to write a judgment or ruling, what he asks for is paper exhibits such as statements of witnesses and accused persons. “But as to something substantial like cocaine, cannabis, guns… I don’t need them to write my judgement so I have nothing whatsoever to do with those exhibits at all.”

Mr. Kye Baffour, told the four-member committee in his one hour evidence that to the best of his knowledge, the only person who has custody of the key to the cabinet at all material time is his clerk, Daniel Nyartsidzi.

He said on September 27, when the exhibit was tendered in evidence, he could not recall the exact time he closed but it would be about 3:00pm and came back to the court the next day at about 8:30 am.

When he reported for work, he said his interpreter informed him that the police called him to demand whether he gave an order for the immediate destruction of the substance the police tendered as cocaine”.

But the judge told the committee that he brushed that aside “because I thought that was quite unusual”, in that the investigator who tendered the substance, Cpl. Ayekase had not been cross-examined on the substance for him to order for its destruction, adding “it is never done”.

Mr.Kyei Baffour said the substance was brought to open court on September 28, upon a request by the defence counsel in the case, Kwabla Senanu who challenged the investigator under cross examination that the substance was not cocaine.

He said Mr. Senanu at that point prayed for an order for a re-test of the substance but not at the Police forensic laboratory, to which the State Attorney, Ms. Stella Arhin raised an objection which he overruled.

“I must state my lords, that the issue on the 28th of September 2011 as to the substance brought not being cocaine or having been changed, did not arise at all,” he said.

The judge defended his order for the re-test of the substance on the basis of a Supreme Court authority ( Jaxon-Smith versus KLM- SCGLR 438), noting that Mr. Senanu was not looking for the exclusion of that admitted exhibit ‘C’ (the substance) but was raising issues as to the genuineness and authenticity of exhibit ‘C’.

“My lords, I exercise my discretion based on that case and I ordered that I will grant the prayer of Mr. Senanu, for another test to be conducted on the substance,” he said and added that he retired to his chamber to enable the parties and the Deputy Registrar, Yussif Seidu to take a sample for the test.

Mr. Kyei Baffour admitted being angry with the State Attorney on November 22 when she inferred that since the substance was left in the court’s custody overnight, the court could have changed it.

He said his anger was not based on the events of September 28, but on the event of November 22 when the Ghana Standards Board analyst was being cross-examined by the defence counsel.

“First, she was not a stranger in my court and she knows the credibility of that court. Second, at the time she raised her objection on the 28, the issue of whether or not the substance had changed did not come in at all,” he said.

When he took his turn, counsel for Nana Ama Martins from whose custody the substance was retrieved upon her arrest in August 2008, told the committee that it was somewhere in July 2011 that he came into the case to handle only the substantive case.

According to Mr. Senanu his prayer to the trial court for a re-test was not at random but he noticed that when the substance was opened in court, the peculiar pungent scent characteristic of cocaine was absent.

Mr.Senanu who said he appeared before the committee to set the records straight on his role in the matter, told the hearing that “It was the conference I had with Nana Ama which emboldened me to challenge the substance”.

He said he did not object to the substance when it was being tendered and went in for what it is worth because he wanted to take everyone by surprise. “On 27th (September) I didn’t tell anyone I was going to raise an objection…I took them by surprise”.

According to him, immediately he left the courtroom on September 28, one police officer told him: “This objection you have raised is going to bring Tsunami.”

Cross-examined by Mr. Asiama Sampong, counsel for Ms. Arhin, Mr. Senanu said it was not true that he had a police docket in his custody during the trial, adding “ I have not done anything wrong by law”

He disagreed with Mr. Sampong that the pungent scent could only be evaporated when the substance is in a powdery form and not a slab as is the case in the matter.
Mr. Senanu also used the platform to correct what he said is being said that he secured bail for the accused person.

David Agyeman Agyin, the Police Anyalyst who did the initial test at the Police forensic laboratory, told the committee that on August 29, 2008 the substance was brought to them for testing and they took sample after it was weighed.

According to him, at the time it was brought to them the substance weighed 1,430 grammes.
He told the committee that the sample that they used for the test is still in their custody which they are ready to provide upon request, adding “we are positive of the work we did and we are sure the substance was cocaine”.

Under cross-examination, he told the committee that generally cocaine has a pungent smell whether in a powder form or any other form. “I don’t think this is the substance we worked on”, he insisted.

Earlier, Mr. Kofi Adjei-Tuadzrah, Head of the Police Narcotic Unit, who was re-called to be cross-examined on a report his unit wrote on the case on September 28 and another on October 3, told the committee that he had not yet received a response to the letters from his superiors.

He denied the assertion that the police knew the substance was going to prove negative for cocaine for which reason they were worried when the substance was left in the court’s custody overnight without seal.

“We were worried because the chain of custody had broken….I knew definitely something was going to happen,” he said and disagreed with counsel that the police were directly complicit in the swapping of the substance if any.

When asked by the committee whether it was part of the country’s criminal procedure code for the police to write reports on an exhibit tendered in evidence, he replied ‘no’ but said that is what they normally do.

Also when asked why the police appeared worried when after the substance was tendered in evidence and when their liability had ceased, Mr. Tuadzrah said because of previous experience, they decided to do it in a manner that would not create problems, besides the volume of the substance was much.

The committee yesterday completed the hearing of all the 10 witnesses it invited to give evidence.

The committee is charged to establish the role played by the trial judge and other court officials, including the registrar and the court clerk in the matter and other related matters.

It asked the public with relevant information on the matter to come with such information during its sitting today.

The four-member committee, formed by the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, followed an Accra Circuit Court ruling on December 13 which revealed that the substance which initially tested positive for cocaine, later turned into baking soda upon a re-test.

The development led to the discharge of Nana Ama Martins who was being tried for possessing the drug without lawful authority on Tuesday.

The committee chaired by a Court of Appeal judge, Justice Agnes Dordzie , has Justice Abdulla Iddrisu, a High Court judge, Mr Nii Boye Quartey, Deputy Director in charge of Human Resource of the Judicial Service and John Bannerman, Chief Registrar, as members.