Sunday, August 16, 2009

CONTRACTOR CHARGED FOR CAUSING FINANCIAL LOSS (PAGE 19)

A Wenchi-based electrical contractor who allegedly failed to construct a school block after collecting a cheque for GH¢25,000 has been arraigned before the Sunyani Circuit Court, charged with wilfully causing financial loss to the state.
The accused, Rahaman Mohammed, who is the Managing Director of M/SAA WACHAN Company Limited, pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail in the sum of GH¢30,000 with two sureties to be justified.
He would reappear before the court, presided over by Mr Justice Kwame Ohene Essel, on August 31, 2009.
The accused was said to have collected a GH¢25,000 cheque for the construction of a three-classroom kindergarten block at Kabrono in the Tain District in the Brong Ahafo Region, but failed to deliver on his promise.
The facts of the case, as presented by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Baba Moro, were that when the new Tain District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Jones Samuel Tawiah, assumed duty, he detected that certain contracts had been awarded to various contractors, but which had not been undertaken.
Mr Moro told the court that a prosecution witness in the case, Mr Francis Dongbetigr, the Tain District Director of Education, was on November 28, 2008 directed by the then Member of Parliament (MP) for Tain, Mr Joe Danquah, to release GH¢25,000 to the accused for the construction of a three-classroom kindergarten block at Kabrono in the Tain District.
The prosecutor said the cheque for the said project was released to the accused, who promised and assured the witness that the job would be completed in some few weeks.
Mr Moro said the job was not completed by the accused as promised and as a result a report was made to the police and he was arrested.
The prosecutor said in his caution statement to the police, the accused admitted he took the money but told investigators that the money was collected from him by Mr Joe Danquah and added that it was the former MP who started the project and sub-let the contract to him.

No comments: