Crime & Punishment of Wednesday, 22 February 2006

Source: The Sun

VEEPs research assistant set free

A CIRCUIT Court at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region has acquitted and discharged MR. Dauda Seidu Mahama and three others who were accused of impersonating as a research assistants at the office of the Vice President. The Court presided over by his Honour G.A.

Kwasi-Kumah, late last year discharged the accused persons when it turned out that the charges levelled against the accused were of no merit.

It could be recalled that in June last year a national daily carried a story to the effect that one Dauda Seidu and three others had been arrested by Techiman police for impersonation and extortion of ?2 million from one James Kwabena Bomfeh, the former DCE for Kintampo.

The facts during the trial of the accused had turned otherwise. It emerged that the amount of ?2 million which Dauda and his colleagues were charged to have extorted from the DCE has turned out as a gift from the DCE to the accused as Hon. James Bomfeh has confirmed.

Dauda Seidu pleaded alarbi that when the said amount was dished out by the DCE to the accused persons, he was nowhere near the scene but he was at the mechanic shop repairing his car which had developed problem at Kintampo.

Followed the available facts coupled with evidence and the refusal of the complainant in the case appeared before court the presiding judge has no option than to discharge the accused.