An Accra High Court has expressed frustration with counsel for the Chief Executive of defunct Capital Bank, William Ato Essien’s attitude towards his ongoing trial.
On Thursday, the court presided over by Justice Eric Kyei Baffuor cautioned that the banker’s lawyer’s slow approach could leave it no option but to revoke his bail.
This came after the legal team failed to file their documents to ensure the smooth running of the trial.
The lawyer for the accused, Baffuor Gyau Bonsu Ashia, told the court that they only got the requested documents from the defunct bank’s Receiver on January 12, giving them little time to comply with the order.
But the judge would have none of that.
Justice Kyei Baffuor reminded Ato Essien that his conditions for the granting of bail include the ability of the accused to cooperate with the court.
The judge further wondered why Mr Essien’s lawyer did not use a subpoena to obtain the documents if they were indeed encountering any difficulty.
This means Mr Essien could be incarcerated for the rest of the duration of ¢620 million case if this continues.
Ato Essien and two others have been accused of embezzling liquidity support of ¢620 million bailout given by the Bank of Ghana to Capital Bank to service its maturing debt.
The Capital Bank CEO, his former Managing Director Fitzgerald Odonkor and former Director of Mr Essien’s MC Management Services are currently facing 23 counts of money laundering, conspiracy to steal and stealing.
The prosecution says the suspects opened bank accounts with the Capital Bank through which the BoG’s money was transferred.
They are also accused of carrying jute bags of money to Ato Essien as payment for ‘business promotion’.
Latest Stories
- Put hefty taxes on alcohol, cigarettes to generate funds money to fight cancer
3 mins - Total household spending falls by 11% in 2022 – UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce survey
7 mins - NDC to consider reforms for selecting leaders in Parliament – National Council of Elders
12 mins - We want to make VAR interventions more understandable for spectators – Pierluigi Collina
30 mins - 2022/23 betPawa PL: Mukwala nets brace as Kotoko run riot against Accra Lions
51 mins - Parliament resumes from recess today
56 mins - ‘You are free to sign DDEP is not the same as exemption’ – Dr Adu Anane Antwi
58 mins - Ghana Gas to build second Processing Plant; 1.5k jobs assured
1 hour - Remarkable progress with ongoing IMF programme is significant to recovery efforts; momentum must be sustained – Ofori-Atta
2 hours - The origin of Hiplife: How rapping in Twi ‘blew people’s minds’
2 hours - Family of Thomas Sankara boycotts burial plans
2 hours - Court reinstates sacked anti-corruption chief
2 hours - Poverty main reason driving terrorism in Africa – UN
2 hours - T-bills: Government to raise ¢2.76bn this week
2 hours - Turkey earthquake: Ghanaian students recount horror
2 hours