Ex-NDC MP, 5 Others Charged For Stealing Gh¢42m

A Former National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for Keta, Richard Lassey Agbenyefia, and five other persons have been charged with 86 counts of stealing and causing financial loss to the State to the tune of about Gh¢ 42 million.

Among the five others is former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Venture Capital Trust Fund (VCTF), Daniel Duku.

The Charge Sheet and Brief facts of the case was filed at the High Court by the Attorney General's Department.

The charge sheet dated 29th of April 2019, was signed on behalf of the Attorney General, Gloria Akuffo, by the Director of Public Prosecution, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa.

It says the first (1st) accused person, Daniel Duku, was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of VCTF between 2010 and 2015.

The second (2nd) accused person, Richard Lassey Agbenyefia, was a former Member of Parliament and a former member of the Board of Trustees of VCTF (the Board).

According to the Charge Sheet, the third (3rd) accused person, Irene Anti-Mensah, who doubled as the Executive Assistant to the 1st accused person, was an Investment Officer of VCTF.

It added that the fourth (4th) accused person, Kofi Sarpong, was an investment officer of VCTF. The fifth (5th) accused person, Frank Aboagye Mensah, is a businessman and the husband of the 3rd accused person.

The sixth (6th) accused person, Charity Opoku also known as Charity Ameyaw, it indicated, was an accountant at VCTF.

The 86 charges preferred against the six accused persons are in breach of eight different sections of the law and they are: abetment of crime namely, Wilfully Causing Financial Loss to the Republic contrary to sections 20(1) and 179A(3)(a) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

The rest are: wilfully Causing Financial Loss to the Republic contrary to section 179A(3)(a) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29); Stealing, contrary to section 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29); Issuing of False Cheque contrary to section 313A(1) (b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29); Abetment of Crime namely, Defrauding by False Pretence contrary to sections 20(1) and 131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

—Daily Guide