The Kumasi-based businessman, popularly called Kessben, was reported to have been rearrested by the BNI after he was freed; but according to Ohene Gyan, lawyer of Kessben Group of Companies, the speculation was false.
Kwabena Kesse, Managing Director of Kessben Shipping, Forwarding and Trading Limited, was said to have been whisked away from the court seconds after he had been cleared of the charges of money laundering and forgery of documents.
Lawyer Ohene Gyan, who sounded angry, told DAILY GUIDE that there was no iota of truth in reports that his client had been arrested again.
He said he started receiving calls on his phone from media houses that Mr. Kesse had been rearrested minutes after he was set free by the court.
Mr. Ohene Gyan stated that his client had been declared a free man and so the public should not believe the speculation that he was still in BNI grips.
At the trial yesterday, Marina Appiah-Opare, Principal State Attorney, had declared that the state was withdrawing all the charges preferred against Kessben.
Charges
Kwabena Kesse is said to have transferred the sum of $127,931,727 65 which was said to be part of proceeds of an unlawful activity between January 2013 and February 2014 to China, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Indonesia, United States of America (USA), Korea and Thailand.
The businessman, who owns Kessben FM, a popular Kumasi-based radio station, is also said to have forged bills of lading and invoices to Stanbic Bank in Accra and transferred monies out of the country.
Mr. Kesse was picked up at the Kotoka International Airport in the presence of his children and wife shortly after returning from a trip abroad last month.
He was early this month granted bail in the sum of GH¢350 million with four sureties two to be justified.
However, at the hearing of the case Mrs. Appiah-Opare told the court that the Attorney-General (A-G) in a verbal instruction, had asked her to withdraw the charges against Kessben.
Quoting Section 59 (1) of ACT 30, the Principal State Attorney said the state was no longer interested in the case.
Amen!
Responding, the visibly elated Carl Adongo, lead counsel for Kessben, said he was not opposed to the decision of the state.
He said, ‘I have nothing to say, they (the state) brought me, so if they say I should go, I will say Amen!’
Mr. Adongo however, asked the court to release Kessben’s travelling passport it had ordered the accused to deposit at the registry of the court as part of his bail conditions.
Ruling
The judge, Mr. Obiri, likening Kessben’s case to that of the infamous passage of ‘the woman caught in the act of adultery’ in the Holy Bible, stated that he could only grant the wish of the state.
The judge, while questioning why the state failed to file Nolle prosequi accordingly, struck out the case ‘for want of prosecution.’
Jubilation
There was great jubilation in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, Wednesday afternoon, following news that Mr. Kesse had been set free.
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By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson & Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi
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