Saglemi Trial Continues Despite Contractor’s Death

In the latest development surrounding the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project case, Deputy Attorney-General Alfred Tuah Yeboah has reassured the public that the recent demise of contractor Andrew Clocanas will not hinder the ongoing prosecution.

Clocanas, one of the accused in the Saglemi case, passed away in October 2023. He was facing trial alongside former Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Collins Dauda, and three others.

Deputy A-G Yeboah stated that despite the contractor’s death, the core of the case remains intact, and the trial will proceed as planned, according to a report by graphic.com.gh.

During the recent court session on Monday, November 20, 2023, Collins Dauda was notably absent. His lawyer, Thaddeus Sory, informed the court that Dauda had received an emergency invitation for a pan-African conference in South Africa as part of parliamentary duties, emphasizing that his absence was unintentional.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, raised concerns about Dauda’s absence, questioning how he managed to travel outside Ghana when his passport was supposed to be in court custody.

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Sory explained that an impromptu invitation had led to the application for Dauda to access his passport, and the withdrawal of the application was associated with travel arrangements that had been made before the hearing.

In further proceedings, the court inquired about Dauda’s ability to travel without the required passport. Sory clarified that the sudden invitation necessitated swift travel arrangements prior to the hearing of the passport application.

The court also witnessed the appearance of the first prosecution witness, Rev Stephen Yaw Osei, the Acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Works and Housing. Scheduled to present his witness statement and undergo cross-examination on Tuesday, November 21, Rev Osei’s testimony marks a crucial phase in the trial.

Collins Dauda, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah, Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu, and Nouvi Tetteh Angelo, all currently on bail, maintain their plea of not guilty to 72 counts related to willfully causing financial loss to the state, misapplying public property, issuing false certificates, and dishonestly causing loss to public property.

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