Accra Jan 19, GNA - Evidence adduced by the Prosecution against Daniel Kwasi Abodakpi, former Minister for Trade and Industry, is discredited, Mr Charles Hayibor, Counsel for Abodakpi on Monday told an Accra Fast Track High Court (FTC). Mr Hayibor said the Prosecution's evidence was unreliable and it should not be used as basis to convict his client.

Counsel, who was making a submission of no case for his client at the Fast Track Court (FTC) presided over by Mr Justice S.T. Farkye, a Court of Appeal Judge sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court Judge, said Prosecution had also failed to prove the charges levelled against his client.

Abodakpi and Victor Selormey, former Deputy Minister of Finance, are on trial for causing 2.73 billion cedis loss to the State. They have denied the charges of conspiracy to commit crime, defrauding by false pretences and wilfully causing financial loss to the State. They are currently on self-recognisance bail in the sum of three billion cedis each. Mr Hayibor noted that a Special Audit Report produced by a Prosecution Witness, Mr Philip Baffour Awuah was discredited. He stated that Mr Awuah while preparing the Special Audit Report into the trade and investment project failed to consult his client adding that Mr Awuah in an earlier cross-examination admitted that he did not consult any of the accused persons for any explanation. He said Mr Awuah failed to consult the accused persons although he knew his client's whereabouts.

Mr Hayibor said: "My client is known to be in Parliament but Mr Awuah rather chose to go to his former office to ask of his whereabouts. "Mr Awuah had admitted in Court that he failed to consult my client, I would like the Court to take note of that." Counsel noted that one of the objectives of the Audit Report was to prosecute persons but Mr Awuah did not allow them to answer questions raised in the Report, saying: "This is a total breach of natural justice." Mr Hayibor said the law required that his client be given the opportunity to react to the issues raised by the Audit Report, adding, "if Mr Awuah had heeded to all these we would not have been here today". Hearing continues of February 2.