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Receiver for defunct uniBank can testify against you – Supreme Court tells Duffour
The Supreme Court has ruled that the Receiver of defunct uniBank, Nii Amanoo Dodoo, can testify in the criminal trial of the bank’s founder, Dr. Kwabena Duffour, and other officials.
Mr Dodoo was the State’s first witness in the trial but lawyers for Dr Duffour urged the court not to allow him to testify.
They argued that the Receiver had breached sections of the Banks and Specialized Deposit Act, 2016.
The lawyers explained that he was appointed as Receiver of uniBank after being a partner of KPMG which audited the accounts of the bank.
But the State opposed the objection. The Director of Public Prosecution, Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa admitted that Mr. Dodoo was previously a partner of KPMG.
She, however, argued that his appointment as the Receiver was lawful. She urged the court to dismiss the objection since the witness meets the requirement for qualifying to testify.
Court of Appeal Judge, Bright Mensah, who is hearing the matter as an additional High Court judge dismissed the objection and upheld the Director of Public Prosecution’s arguments.
He stated that Section 59 of the Evidence Act explains who is not qualified to testify. This includes someone who is incapable of coherent expression so as to be understood, directly or through interpretation by another person who can understand that person; or incapable of understanding the duty of a witness to tell the truth.
The Receiver was therefore asked to take the oath and proceed to testify. Dissatisfied with this decision, Dr. Duffuor and the officials took the matter to the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal affirmed the High Court decision leading to a further appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Apex Court on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, affirmed the Court of Appeal decision by a majority 3-2 decision. Justices Paul Baffoe Bonnie, Prof Mensah Bonsu and Samuel Asiedu made up the majority while Justices Gabriel Pwamang and Amadu Tanko dissented.
Dr. Kwabena Duffour and 8 others are facing a total of 71 charges for various roles they played that led to the collapse of some financial institutions.
The government is set to lay before Parliament today, November 21, a Constitutional Instrument (C.I) seeking to restrict the importation of selected strategic products into the country.
The items, numbering over 20, will include rice, tripe (popularly called “yemuadie” in Ghana), and diapers.
The government said the move is part of efforts to enhance local production.
Speaking during a press briefing in Parliament, the Minister of Trade and Industry, K.T Hammond said, “Stomach of animals, bladder and the chunk of intestines (yemuadie), the country had had to put in an amount of about $164 million towards the importation of these items. We are taking steps to ensure that in terms of rice, there’s no poverty of rice in the country.”
He emphasized, “By these restrictions, we are not going to ensure that there’s no food in the country at all; that is not the point at all. There have to be some efforts by the government to ensure that we go back to Acheampong’s operation feed yourself. There are about 22 items on the list, one of them, I think, is diapers.”
He announced the introduction of the Ghana Standards Authority Regulations 2023, which also seeks to streamline the manufacturing of cement to ensure competitive pricing.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia says former President John Dramani Mahama does not understand the 24-hour economy policy he is proposing.
According to the Vice President, that policy is already being implemented in the country, as hospitals, fuel companies, among others, operate a 24-hour system.
Dr. Bawumia, therefore, urged Ghanaians to ignore Mahama during the 2024 polls since he has nothing new to offer and vote for the New Patriotic Party.
“John Mahama says he has a new idea. What is the idea? He says he wants a 24-hour economy. He doesn’t even understand that policy. Today in Ghana, our hospitals work 24 hours, our electricity company works 24 hours, our water company works 24 hours, our fuel stations work 24 hours, and many chop bars work 24 hours. Today because of digitalisation, you can transfer money 24 hours, you can receive money 24 hours… So he doesn’t understand his own policy. It doesn’t make sense.”
“So I want you to vote for me in 2024 because I will bring a new vision, I will bring a new policy. Mahama is the past, Dr Bawumia is the future. If John Mahama was there, we would say we have a dumsor economy, you can’t have a 24-hour economy in dumsor. So, you want to vote for Dr Bawumia in 2024, we will take the country to new heights,” Dr Bawumia stated.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has accused the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of pressuring the House to pass a number of bills under a certificate of urgency.
Mr. Bagbin cited bills such as the Affirmative Action Bill, which is allegedly being pushed by the IMF as part of the conditionality for the balance of the $3 billion credit facility for Ghana.
Speaking at the Speaker’s Breakfast Meeting on Monday, Alban Bagbin insisted that the House will not be coerced by the IMF to pass the bill.
“Even in this budget, you can see the arm of the IMF in a lot of provisions in the budget. A critical bill like the Affirmative Action Gender Equality Bill has come to Parliament under a certificate of urgency. Please, it won’t happen; we won’t pass it under a certificate of urgency.”
“There are critical stakeholders we must consult and make sure we go together. We will not be dictated by the IMF; that one, you can be assured. This is a very critical bill that the IMF should know that we need the buy-in of the stakeholders to be able to implement it,” Alban Bagbin said.
The Affirmative Action Bill, when passed into law, would seek to expunge the historically low representation of women in decision-making spaces and promote democracy and development through all-inclusive participation.
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Mahama doesn’t understand 24hr economy; don’t vote for him – Bawumia
