Effutu NDC Candidate Faces Court For Fraud

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for the Effutu Constituency in the Central Region, James Kofi Annan, has been put before the Winneba District Court in the Central Region over an alleged GH¢100,000 fraud case.

Mr. Annan who is the head of an NGO called 'Challenging Heights' alongside two others, Anthony Enyan and John Banafo, were charged with stealing, dishonesty and fraudulently appropriating an amount worth GH¢100,000.

He was slapped with two counts of dishonestly appropriating GH¢100,000 contrary to section 147 of Act 29, and stealing which is contrary to section 124 of the same Act.

He pleaded not guilty and the court presided over by Isaac Oheneba Kuffuor granted him self-cognizance bail, while his co-accused persons were given a bail condition of GH¢10,000 with one surety until April 21.

The prosecutor, Dorinda Azuman, said one Benjamin Ackah lodged a complaint on February 7, 2020 that Mr. Annan had stolen GH¢100,000 from his account and upon investigation the accused was invited but he refused to go to the police so they had to go to court for an arrest warrant.

The prosecutor further said the first accused person admitted receiving the money but said it was to support his political activities and was donated by a traditional leader, who is a prospective witness in the case.

Before he was arraigned, Mr. Annan allegedly admitted receipt of a total of GH¢100,000 into his two separate accounts and had used the money for the purpose the donor intended.

“In February 2020, a politically interested person donated GH¢100,000 to be used for specific activities in the Effutu Constituency. This money was paid in two equal installments – one on the 4th of February, 2020, with Consolidated Bank cheque no 1, and the other on the 7th of February, with Consolidated Bank cheque no 2,” he said at the press conference.

His lawyer, Edudzi Tamakloe, later described the arrest of Mr. Annan as “an abuse of the court process” and said the case against the accused was 'rubbish.'

He said his client did nothing wrong and vowed to clear his name.

---Daily Guide