Sammy Crabbe appears in court…to defend charges against him
A former Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Sammy Crabbe, yesterday went to an Accra High Court (Financial Division) with his legal counsel, in response to an anticipated charge of causing financial loss to the state.
The accused and his counsel, Mr. Micheal Boateng, appeared before the court, where he was expected to be arraigned, together with former Roads and Transport Minister, Dr. Richard Anane, former Chief of Staff, Kwadwo Mpiani, and former Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei, for their roles in the Ghana International Airlines (GIA).
Counsel for Mr. Crabbe, who indicated to the court, presided over by Justice Bright Mensah, that his client had not been formally served with the charges leveled against him, noted that his appearance in court was triggered by media reports.
According to Mr. Crabbe, he had gone to the Police Criminal Investigations Department, where he had been charged.
The court, however, adjourned sitting to today, upon the request of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ms. Gertrude Aikins, to enable the three other suspects, who could not show up in court, to do so.
Mr. Crabbe, who was a former vice president of the GIA, and also the representative of the minority shareholders in the company, has been charged with four counts, including conspiracy, stealing, and causing financial loss to the state.
He is accused of withdrawing $1.7 million from the government's account on June 27, 2005, without approval from the government, the majority shareholder, while Dr. Anane is alleged to have misled cabinet into approving a partnership with Ghana International Airlines, at a time when the GIA did not exist.
Counsel for Sammy Crabbe, told the press that his client was innocent of all the charges leveled against him.
“We didn't get the opportunity of reading the facts of the case, but from the investigations and what we have gathered…what the state is saying is that due to certain actions and inaction of Sammy Crabbe, together with other people…The charge is against four people in Ghana, and five at large. These five people are Sammy Crabbe's partners, that is those in the United States of America,” Mr. Boateng noted.