General News of Wednesday, 19 July 2017
Source: dailyguideafrica.com
2017-07-19
Paul Assibit and Abuga Pele
Some unidentified persons have reportedly threatened to murder Jacob Adongo, a witness in the trial of the two persons allegedly involved in the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) scandal.
The supposed threat comes just a day after he dropped a bombshell, claiming that Clement Kofi Humado, former Youth and Sports Minister, could not be absolved from the alleged scam.
Mr Adongo said Kofi Humado, who is also Member of Parliament (MP) for Anlo, was involved in almost all the processes leading to the payment of GH¢4.1 million to Goodwill International Group (GIG) – a case, which is currently before a court of competent jurisdiction.
As the then Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Humado allegedly approved the payment but he is rather serving as prosecution witness.
Mr. Adongo, who is Director for the Gender and Disability module of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), told the Accra Financial Crimes Court yesterday that he had received two separate threatening text messages from some subscribers of MTN and Airtel.
The messages, he said, read, “You think you can talk that way; we will kill you if you try that tomorrow” [yesterday]. You, who are you? If you don’t stop that we will kill you.”
It added, “You think you are the only person who knows the truth. Tomorrow do not talk the way you did the previous day” [Monday] “that Philip chop government money. Say that [and] we will kill you sharp, sharp.”
The court, presided over by Justice Afia Asare-Botwe, stated that the court had taken note of the complaint of the witness, indicating that it was for the police to investigate the matter.
She said if the police were done with their investigations and presented a copy to the court, it would be put in the records of the court.
The request by Mr. Adongo for the court to make an order to the telecommunication companies for the identities of the assailants to be disclosed was granted.
Justice Asare-Botwe ordered MTN and Airtel to furnish the registrar of the court with the identities and records of the assailants to assist the police to investigate the matter.
The former National Coordinator of GYEEDA and former NDC MP for Chiana Paga, Abuga Pele, together with Philip Akpeena Assibit, are standing trial for the various roles they played in the GYEEDA scam.
The Attorney General’s Department said the accused persons caused huge financial loss to the state.
Assibit is being accused of putting in false claims that he had secured $65 million World Bank funding for the creation of one million jobs for the youth, which led the then government to part with GH¢41.1 million.
At the final stage of the evidence yesterday, Mr Adongo noted that once the loan was secured, the government needed to go through a rigorous process in order to access the fund from the donor.
The court, among others, heard that the country did not even receive GH¢1 of the supposed loan.
He said it was not the business of Goodwill International Group (GIG) to ensure that the fund was released.
