Accra, June 16, GNA - An Accra High Court on Thursday fixed July 15 for mentioning of the case in which Robert Dodoo, former Head of the Civil Service is charged with wilfully causing financial loss of 70.8 million cedis to the state. When the case was called on Thursday, Dodoo took a date from the court, pending the determination of an appeal, yet to begin at the Supreme Court, challenging the Court of Appeal's ruling that the accused had a case to answer at the lower court.

Records of proceedings are not ready at the Appeal Court to be transmitted to the Supreme Court for hearing. The defence team for Dodoo is led by Mr T. N. Nelson Coffie and he is assisted by Mr George F. Gardiner and Mr Bruce Acquaye Thompson. Mrs Penelope-Ann Mamattah, Principal State Attorney, is prosecuting the case.

The trial Judge, Mrs Justice Avril Anim-Yeboah at the High Court had earlier said the Court was satisfied that the accused had a case to answer and therefore ordered him to open his defence on July 13, last year. Dodoo, who had told the court that he did not have any case to answer, then appealed against the court's decision at the Court of Appeal.

The Appeal Court upheld the High Court's ruling and ordered Dodoo to return to the lower court to answer the charge preferred against him. The former Head of the Civil Service has since started processing documents for the appeal to the Supreme Court against the Court of Appeal's decision.

The prosecution's case is that in 1992 the Greater Accra Regional Tender Board awarded a 600 million-cedi contract to Charkson Construction Company for the building of a two-storey block, as annex to the main office. Shortly after the accused assumed office, he was instrumental in the award of a contract for the provision of a lift for the office of the Head of the Civil Service Annex Building.

Dodoo signed a letter requesting the Minister of Finance to release 70.8 million cedis to Mr William Kofi Partey of Electovator Engineering Company Limited (EEC). The Ghana Supply Commission (GSC) then put the award on tender and the EEC emerged as the winner. However, the contractor failed to undertake the job.