Prosecution ponders over Collins Dauda, others trial - Court sets date for Feb 25
The prosecution in the trial of former Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Alhaji Collins Dauda, and three others will on February 25 this year update the court on whether or not it will continue with the case.
Alhaji Dauda, who is also the National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for Asutifi South in the Ahafo Region, is standing trial with three others on charges of wilfully causing financial loss to the state, misapplying public property, issuing false certificates and dishonestly causing loss to public property in the Saglemi Housing project.
When the case was called yesterday, the prosecution led by a Principal State Attorney, Hilda Craig, prayed the court for two weeks for the prosecution to put its house in order.
“The instruction from my superior is that I should appeal to the court for a short adjournment to put our house in order, if the court is minded to give us two weeks, we will come back and update the court on the status of the case,” she said.
The presiding judge, Justice Ernest Owusu Dapaah asked the prosecution whether they intended to continue the case or not in order to decide the next hearing date.
Ms Craig responded, “We haven’t gone to that stage yet. We’re still in the process. In two weeks’ time, we will update you on the status of the case and my superiors will decide on that as for me.
I am only a conveyor belt”.
The case has been adjourned to February 25, 2025.
Not guilty
In August 2021, the former minister, his successor, Dr Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah; the Chief Director at the ministry from 2009 to 2017, Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu; a director of RMS, the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) consultancy subcontractor, Nouvi Tetteh Angelo, pleaded not guilty to the charges against them and were admitted to bail in various sums under various conditions.
The changes include wilfully causing financial loss to the state, misapplying public property, issuing false certificates and dishonestly causing loss to public property.
Alhaji Dauda is currently on a self-recognisance bail.
Dr Agyeman-Mensah and Alhaji Yakubu are on a bail of $65 million each with three sureties.
Angelo is on a $13 million bail with three sureties.
Prosecution’s facts
The former Attorney-General (A-G), Godfred Yeboah Dame, said in August 2012, the then President, John Dramani Mahama, granted Executive approval to the Ministry of Housing for the construction of 5,000 affordable housing units to be known as the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project.
The housing units, to be executed by the Construtora OAS Ltd, were to be sold to workers through mortgage arrangements provided by the then Ghana Home Loans Company.
Mr Dame said the project was funded by Credit Suisse, following parliamentary approval.
Review
Mr Dame said on February 27, 2014, Dauda, without parliamentary approval, reviewed the EPC agreement and signed both the original and the revised (restated) agreement with Construtora OAS, represented by Clocanas.
The revision allegedly changed the scope of works and the application of the $200 million approved by Parliament, the A-G said.
Disbursement
Credit Suisse, he said, disbursed the $198 million ($200 million less fees and transaction expenses) into the Escrow Account and the 40 per cent advance payment to Construtora OAS was effected on February 27, 2013.
He said the contractor failed to apply the amount towards the intended purpose.
“On December 21, 2016,” he said, “Yakubu again reviewed the original and revised (restated) agreement and signed them (second and his revised or restated), without recourse to Parliament.”
That led to a further reduction in the scope of works to 1,412 housing units at a revised price of $181 million and extended the completion period to July 31, 2017, the A-G alleged.
The prosecution further alleged that series of payments were made to the contractor and sub-contractors for no work done.