DAILY HERITAGE JULY 9, 2020

Inside JULY 9, 2020.qxp_Layout 1 7/8/20 8:47 PM Page 2
02 CONTENT
DAILY QUOTE
Failure is the condiment that
gives success its flavor
--Truman Capote
ANNIVERSARIES
25 Dec, Christmas Day
26 Dec, Boxing Day
1 Jan, New Year
DAILY HERITAGE THURSDAY , JULY 9, 2020
Published by: EIB
Network / Heritage
Communications Ltd.
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William Asiedu:
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VOL 7
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Alleged associate of Osafo
Maafo granted GHc1.4M bail
BY MUNTALLA INUSAH
muntalla.inusah@dailyheritage.com.gh
THE CIRCUIT
Court in Accra
presided over by
Mr Emmanuel
Essandoh has
granted bail in
the sum of GHc1.4 million to
one Mohammed Aminu Bonkanu,
who has defrauded one Alhaji Fuseini
Suleiman to the tune of over
GHc1.3 million..
Bonkanu, charged with four
counts of defrauding and money
laundering, is said to have received
various sums from his victim
on the pretence that it would
be given to the Senior Minister
Yaw Osafo Maafo to facilitate his
appointment as the Director-General
(D-G) of Ghana Ports and
Harbour Authority (GPHA).
As part of the bail conditions,
he is to produce four sureties who
must be civil servants earning not
less than GHc2000. He is also to
report to the police every
Wednesday at 10 a.m.
The court, in granting him bail,
also ordered him to submit his
passport to its registrar.
This was after his lawyer, Victor
Kodjogah Adawudu, made an
oral bail application for him.
The bail application, even
though was opposed by the prosecution
led by Assistant Superintendant
of Police (ASP) Sylvester
Asare, was granted.
The accused pleaded not guilty
to the offence before being
granted bail
Brief facts
Brief facts of the case as presented
to the court by ASP Asare
were that the complainant is a retired
Civil Engineer and the former
General Manager of Ghana
Ports and Harbours Authority
(GPHA).
The accused person, he said, is
a resident of Sapeiman, a suburb
of Accra.
According to him, in March
2020, complainant reported to the
police that Bonkanu had demanded
and received cash total of
USD132, 000 (GHc726, 000) and
50, 000 Euros (GHc531, 150) on
the pretence of giving same to
Osafo Maafo to facilitate his appointment
as the D-G of GPHA.
The prosecutor said on receipt
of the complaint, the then suspect
was arrested, interrogated and investigation
caution statement obtained
from him.
ASP Asare said preliminary investigations
revealed that sometime
in the year 2017, the accused
introduced himself as National
Security Operative (NSO) to complainant.
According to him, due to the
nature of his job as an NSO, he
(now accused) could connect
businessmen to high profile personalities
in government, including
Osafo Maafo , the Senior
Minister, for appointments and
promotion of businesses.
The prosecutor told the court
that the accused further indicated
that he could lead the complainant
to the Senior Minister to
assist the complainant secure appointment
as the D-G of GPHA
and also to acquire a licence for
complainant to do oil marketing.
He told the court that in his
quest to defraud complainant, the
accused mentioned government
officials, including 2nd Lady Mrs
Samira Bawumia, Minister of Foreign
Affairs and Regional Integration,
Mrs Shirley Ayorkor
Botchway, and Member of Parliament
for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah
Adwoa Safo, as his associates.
The prosecutor told the court
that the accused told the complainant
that he had discussed the
complainant’s appointment as D-
G of GPHA and the acquisition
of oil marketing licence with the
purported Mr Osafo Maafo.
“Additionally, accused informed
complainant to expect a
message on WhatsApp or SMS
from Yaw Osafo Maafo. Subsequently,
complainant received
WhatsApp messages purported to
be from Osafo Maafo. The authors
of those messages confirmed
to complainant that
accused had discussed complainant’s
desire to be appointed
as D-G of GPHA and the acquisition
of oil marketing licence.
“The purported senior minister,
in a WhatsApp chat, agreed to
facilitate complainant's appointment
as D-G of GPHA and facilitate
the acquisition of the oil
marketing licence. Thus, the purported
senior minister demanded
various sums of monies from
complainant through WhatsApp
chats to facilitate the appointment
of complainant,” he told the
court.
He added that, “The said senior
minister instructed complainant
through WhatsApp chats
to hand over all monies for the facilitation
to the accused person as
his trusted agent. Thus accused
person followed up, demanded
and received various sums of
money for the purported senior
minister.”
He said investigations had it
that between 2017 and 2018, accused
person demanded and received
the various sums for the
purported Osafo Maafo.
Covid-19:
CJ embarks on 14-day self-isolation
BY MUNTALLA INUSAH
muntalla.inusah@dailyheritage.com.gh
THE CHIEF Justice (CJ),
Kwesi Anin-Yeboah, is on a 14-
day self-isolation upon advice
of his doctors, the Judicial Secretary
(JS), Cynthia Pamela
Addo, has announced.
A statement signed by JS
said the 14-day self-isolation is
in compliance with Covid-19
protocols.
The CJ, during the period,
will be working from the Chief
Justice’s Official Residence at
Cantonment, Accra.
The statement, however,
failed to mention if the Chief
Justice has come into contact
with any COVID-19 infected
person.
The statement comes days
after President Nana Addo
Dankwa Akufo-Addo also embarked
on similar self-isolation
after the Senior Minister tested
positive for Covid-19.
Supreme Court suspends
cases
The Supreme Court has also
suspended all cases billed to be
heard this week over Covid-19
fears.
The move comes in the
wake of rumours that some
judges of the Superior Courts
have tested for the virus and
are currently in mandatory isolation.
Checks by DAILY HER-
ITAGE at the apex court revealed
that all 16 cases
scheduled for the week, which
commenced Tuesday, July 1,
2020, had been adjourned.
The apex court was expected
to deal with nine cases
from Tuesday to Thursday but
all the cases had been adjourned.
The Judicial Service will
commence its Legal Vacation
from August 1, 2020, and resume
in October 2020.
Court of Appeal
judge dies
In a related development, a
Justice of the Court of Appeal,
Justice Paul Gyaesayor, has died
after complaining of ill-health
on Tuesday.
The experienced Judge, who
reported for work, according to
sources at the Judicial Service,
complained of ill-health and
went home.
But, he died shortly after he
left the office to the house. The
sources noted the death of the
judge had nothing to do with
Covid-19.
The statement
comes days after
President Nana
Addo Dankwa Akufo-
Addo also embarked
on similar self-isolation
after the Senior
Minister tested positive
for Covid-19.