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11 new charges levelled against former NDA officials

The state prosecutors handling the suspected procurement breaches and corruption-related offences involving three former officials of the Northern Development Authority (NDA) officials and one private man have withdrawn the initial charges levelled against the four accused persons.

New charges have now been levelled against them.

The four persons were cited for procurement breaches in the special prosecutor’s investigative report.

During the last sitting, the court set April 4, for trial to commence.

However, in a new twist on Tuesday, the prosecution prayed the court to allow the team to withdraw the initial charges and substitute that with new charges.

In all, eleven charges including corruption, have been levelled against the four accused persons.

The High Court Judge Justice Ankomah Eric Ansah owing to the withdrawal struck out the old suit and discharged the accused persons.

They were, however, not allowed to leave the courtroom since a fresh suit was presented before the court.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all eleven charges.

The counsel for the defence pleaded for bail which the court granted. The defendants have been ordered to deposit their passports at the court’s registry, and provide two sureties each in the sum of 2 million cedis without justification.

The sureties have been ordered to make an undertaking in the event that the accused persons do not appear in court as ordered, they shall pay a bail sum of 2 million cedis to the state.

The accused are also not allowed to travel outside the Jurisdiction of the court without express permission from the court.

The court further instructed the prosecution to exchange all documents they intend to rely on in the case to the accused persons as well as file witness statements of all they intend to use and serve the accused persons on or before April, 18.

The counsel for the accused persons, Joseph Kpemka spoke to Citi News after the proceedings.

Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews

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