The Judge would be announcing the ruling tomorrow Friday February 25, but Mr. Amidu announced last Tuesday February 22 that though Mr. Osei-Adjei is facing eight charges, he would be acquitted of six and nailed on two.
But even before the ruling, Mr. Amidu, a former deputy Attorney General under the Rawlings administration, has rebuffed the criticisms of foot-soldiers of the National Democratic congress (NDC) who have always gone wild anytime the AG loses high-profile cases.
He said the foot-soldiers are lay persons who do not count in the matter of law and therefore they should stay out.
The foot-soldiers were always on the neck of Mr. Amidu’s predecessor, Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu, until she was moved to the Education Ministry.
Tomorrow’s ruling is on a submission of “no case” put in by Osei-Adjei’s lawyer, Godfred Yeboah Dame; and the Attorney General says Justice bright Mensah would nail Osei-Adjei on the two procurement-related charges but release him on the remaining six.
Martin Amidu in an interview with Citi FM, disclosed that Chief State Attorney Anthony Gyambiby, the prosecutor handling the case, had personally visited him in his office and rendered an apology over the matter. “I’m doing well in this case but I will win on two counts but on the others I was expecting a witness from abroad but all efforts to get the witness has not materialized.” Mr. Amidu quoted the prosecutor as telling him.
According to him, in the prosecutor’s response to the submission of ‘no case’ by the defence, he graciously conceded his losses; however they are expecting the court to order the accused to open their defence on the other counts.
Yesterday, Counsel for Osei-Adjei complained that the Attorney-General has ‘announced’ the ruling ahead of the Judge and described his conduct as “a deliberate interference with the work of the Judiciary and a premeditated attempt to incite public pressure on the Judge handling the trial.”
“What insight has the AG got that my client is not privy to? Honestly the cause of justice should be devoid of public commentary and specific predictions of what the ruling would be; more so when such predictions and public commentary are coming form no less a person than the Attorney General and Minister of Justice himself,” Mr. Dame noted.
Mr. Osei-Adjei and the former managing Director of the National Investment Bank (NIB), Charles Daniel Gyimah, have been dragged to the Financial Division of the Fast Track High Court and charged with eight counts of conspiracy, contravention of provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663), using public office for profit, stealing and willfully causing financial loss to the state.
They have both pleaded not guilty and have been granted bail in the sum of GH¢200,000 with two sureties each to be justified. The trial has dragged on since 2009 with several hearings and adjournments.
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Attorney-General Fears Defeat