A High Court Judge and a Court Registrar have been jailed by an Accra High Court, for stealing . Justice Edward Mensah Boateng , who until his conviction, was a judge at the Sefwi Wiawso High Court in the Western Region, will serve nine months, while his accomplice , Jacob Dickson Owusu , Registrar of the Danu High Court in the Volta Region, will serve 12 months. The two men are said to have converted US$ 50 ,754. 9 paid to the Danu High Court as ordered by Justice Boateng the trial judge, into cedis and invested it in a fixed deposit account at the Danu Agricultural Development Bank , sharing the interest on the principle sum , any time it (interest ) accrued. It meant the convicts dishonestly appropriated sums accruing on the investment on a fixed deposit account illegally lodge at the Danu branch of the ADB . The money was meant for compensation for the parties in litigation. They were charged with conspiracy to commit fraudulent breach of trust , fraudulent breach of trust , and conspiracy to steal and stealing, contravening sections 23 (1 ) and 128, 128, 12 (1 ) and 124 as well as 124 of the Criminal Offences Acct 1960 , Act 29 . The interest on the principal sum was to be held in trust for the litigants but not to be squandered by the convicts. Passing sentence, Mr. Justice Charles Quist said “in the main I find that the prosecution at the end of the case proved all the ingredients of the offences against the first and second accused persons and are convicted on all the charges leveled against them .” However, the third accused, Justice Michael Kwasi Woanyah, also a high Court Judge who was charged with complicity, was acquitted and discharged. The Principal State Attorney , Mr . Asiama-Sampong, prosecuting said that the Government of Ghana awarded a contract to Great Lakes Dredge and Duck Company Limited in 2001 to construct the Keta Sea Defence at Keta and its environs . He said the company acquired land from the inhabitants of Keta and established a stone quarry from which chippings and other construction materials were produced for the project.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:33:03 +0000
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