The Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Coast Resources Limited Tuesday stated that the $150,000 given to the people of Banka by the company was for the development of the community and not for the stool’s administrative cost.
According to Mr Quansah, at the time of issuing the cheque, the community did not have a bank account and he, therefore, issued it in the name of Nana Osabarima Twiampomah III, the Chief of Banka in the Ashanti Akim South District.
Mr Quansah, the star witness, made this known when he concluded his cross-examination in the case in which Nana Twiampomah III is being held for allegedly misappropriating $150,000 belonging to his community.
The money misappropriated was a lease sum paid by Gulf Coast Resources Limited, a mining company, to the people of Banka after using their land for mining for the past 10 years.
Charged with stealing, 52-year-old Nana Twiampomah has pleaded not guilty before the Accra High Court.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice Charles Quist, has admitted the chief to bail in the sum GH¢50,000, with one surety to be justified. The surety deposited a title deed equivalent to the principal sum of $150,000 to the court’s registry.
Nana Twiampomah was also to sign a bond not to travel outside the country until the matter was disposed of.
Answering questions from Mr Richard Robinson Jnr, defence counsel, Mr Quansah maintained that the money and the promissory note given by his company were to be used for the town’s benefit.
According to him, if the money was for personal use, his company would have issued the cheque in the name of the accused person, known in private life as Kofi Frimpong.
The witness disagreed with counsel that he was to take a commission of 50 per cent from the disputed $150,000.
Mr Quansah explained that as the Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Resources Limited, he was paid for his job and so needed no commission.
He denied that because he was not given his share, he felt peeved and decided to bring the matter into the public domain.
He also denied that there was no correlation between the promissory note and the cheque for $150,000 issued by his company.
Mr Quansah debunked defence counsel’s assertion that the cheque for the people of Banka was in redemption of the promissory note, adding that the company would have insisted on opening an account for the town.
Witness explained that it was not his duty to do that, adding that that was why he had asked the chief to come with his elders for the cheque.
Mr Quansah said he was surprised to see the accused person come to the corporate office of the company.
The witness denied that the accused person had told him on phone that he had incurred a lot of legal costs and that the chunk of the money had gone into that.
When asked how he appeared in court to testify, he said he received a call from the Attorney General’s office and he was interrogated over the transaction between the people of Banka and the accused person. — GNA
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