The former vice-president of the ailing Ghana International Airline (GIA), Sammy Crabbe, has derided government’s decision to prosecute him for his role in the management of the airline. Sounding unperturbed by the move, Mr Crabbe told Joy FM Super Morning Show host, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, Monday that even before assuming office, the NDC had the intention to prosecute officials of the erstwhile NPP government. “I am not surprised at all that at the end of the day, they have wasted everybody’s time and we are where we are today. They should have just gone ahead" and "charge us", instead of waiting for the Commission on Human Rights and Administration Justice to conduct investigations into the matter before now trying to charge us. Mr Sammy Crabbe, Dr. Richard Anane, former Minister of Roads and Transport; Dr. Akoto Osei, a former Deputy Minister of Finance; and Kwadwo Mpiani, a former Chief of Staff have been charged for their various role in the management of GIA. Mr Crabbe, who represented the Minority shareholders in the company, has been charged for withdrawing 1.9 million dollars from the government’s account without approval from the government who are the majority stakeholders on June 27, 2005. Mr Crabbe has however denied any wrong doing. “Nobody has access to the government of Ghana’s account. Who signs that document, who attested that signature, was it authorized…? Can you just stand up and withdraw money from Government of Ghana’s account? It is impossible!” “…at the time that the transaction took effect Sammy Crabbe was not a board member, was not a signatory to any account number in Ghana International Airline and was not an employee of Ghana International Airline…so how could Sammy Crabbe be involved?” He accused the government of being petty on his involvement in the running of GIA, describing the prosecution as “witch-hunting”. “If a private person should invest in a company that government also has an interest, does it mean that that person’s money immediately becomes public money? These are some of the things we need to look at. I believe that the government has goofed from all angles.” He explained that the government is pursuing him because he was the former Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the NPP. Deputy Attorney General Ebow Barton Oduro confirmed that the four have been investigated adequately and would be arraigned before the Fast Track Court on Tuesday. Story by Isaac Essel/myjoyonline.com