General News of Tuesday, 15 May 2001

Source: GNA

Soussoudis' trial adjourned to July 4

The trial of Michael Soussoudis, a consultant and politician, was yesterday adjourned to July 4 because Mr Mohammed Nabon, Chairman of the Accra Circuit Tribunal trying him, is to start his annual leave.

Soussoudis, who has pleaded not guilty to possessing dangerous weapons and other military accoutrement without permit, is on a 30 million-cedi bail with one surety to be justified.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Elizabeth Allormatu at the last sitting told the tribunal that on April 26, a team of policemen from the CID Headquarters, which searched Soussoudis' house, retrieved a number of weapons.

They were six powergel danger explosives, 1P berreta pistol, an AK 47-assault rifle with six loaded magazines, one SMG Uzi rifle with four magazines, a biscuit card box containing three fragmentation grenades marked 10B, 11B and 6B.

Police also found three smoke grenades, each marked 1330-G890, another grenade concealed under a satellite dish and a quantity of assorted ammunition and military kits.

He said another search was conducted on April 27 with a metal detector which turned up one macro pistol loaded with eight rounds of ammunition, one ACP pistol loaded with six rounds of ammunition, one AK 47 bayonet and a quantity of assorted ammunition, all at the boys' quarters.

DSP Allormatu said investigation revealed that the ACP pistol was licensed but the accused could not give any tangible reasons for keeping the remaining firearms in his house without authority.