By Beatrice Oppon
The prosecution has substituted the charge sheet of the two former Ministers of Works and Housing Alhaji Collins Dauda and Kweku Agyeman Mensah and three others involved in the 200 million dollars Saglemi Housing Project scandal.
The accused persons now face 70 charges against the previous 52.
The other three persons are a former Chief Director at the Ministry Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu, Executive Chairman of Construtora OAS, a Brazilian company which constructed the affordable housing project at Saglemi, Andrew Clocanas, and a director of RMS Nouvi Tetteh Angelo.
Their pleas are yet to be taken because the third accused Alhaji Ziblim is said to be unwell and his lawyer has furnished the court with his medical report. Principal State Attorney Winifred Sarpong said she would prefer that the accused is also present in court before the new charges are read and their pleas taken.
She said according to the doctor’s report, the accused person can walk when aided and therefore of the opinion that Alhaji Ziblim can be aided to come to court on the next adjourned date for his plea to be taken. She noted that the absence of the third accused is delaying the case. A defence lawyer Edudzi Tamakloe however prayed that the accused person should be given enough time to recover. He suggested that taking of the plea could be done virtually which was agreed to by the prosecution.
The judge Justice Elfreda Dankyi said the court will make available a video link for the third accused to join the court virtually if he is unable to appear. Alhaji Collins Dauda and the four others are standing trial for allegedly causing financial loss to the state in the Saglemi Affordable Housing project. They were put before the High Court in August 2021. The court has adjourned to February 23, 2023.
