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NKRABEAH Effah-Dartey, the lead counsel for Nana Antwi Manu and the family head of the Ansaah Royal Family who have dragged the Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman and four elders to court over a judgment debt, has told an Accra High Court that he needs a little time to conduct further investigations into the matter. Dr Effah-Dartey said following submissions made by the defence lawyer in an earlier sitting that Nana Afrakoma, the Queen-mother of Akwamu, and the people mentioned in the suit knew nothing about the GH�20 million, he had instructed that diligent investigations be done before the case proceeded. According to him, they had five different teams conducting the investigation, adding that the investigation was only to strengthen their stand. Following this submission, he prayed the court for a two-week adjournment, by which time they would have completed the task. The trial judge, Justice Elizabeth Ankomah, after counsel�s submission, asked him whether he had been able to serve the MP with a copy of the writ, through parliament, as had been directed, but Dr Effah-Dartey said he had not been able to do that because the bailiff was not cooperative enough. The judge advised that if the bailiff was not cooperating then he should write to the registrar for assistance. Counsel for the defendants told the court that he was embarrassed by Effah-Darteh�s statement that they were still conducting investigations, adding that it was the worst reason a lawyer could give to a judge. He questioned why the plaintiffs had brought the queen-mother and others to court if they hadn�t completed their investigations. He asked the court to award a GH�1,000 cost to the defendants, excluding the MP, for the hardship suffered as they had to travel all the way from Akwamu to court each sitting. Dr Effah-Dartey pleaded and said they could afford GH�200 for each of the defendants. Justice Ankomah agreed and awarded GH�200 cost to each of the defendants. The judge however warned that on April 19 she would proceed with the case so the parties should be ready. The plaintiff, Nana Antwi Manu and the family head of the Ansaah Royal Family, on behalf of the people of Akwamu, are praying the court to order the MP, Rev Asare Akoto, and the four elders to refund the money. The four elders are Nana Afrakoma, the Queen-mother of Akwamu; Nana Amo Bekai, the acting President of the Akwamu Traditional Council; Gilbert Larbi, Registrar of the Akwamufie Traditional Council and Nana Asare Antwi, family head of the Royal Aboabo family of Akwamufie. The plaintiff and family are also seeking certain reliefs including an order for the five defendants to render full accounts of every cedi that had been used out of the GH�20 million compensation claims collected on February 25, 2010. In addition, they are also asking for outstanding balances to be handed over to the Akwamu Traditional Council and an order for the bank accounts of the five defendants to be frozen. According to the plaintiff, since the 1960s, the chiefs and people of Akwamu had been following the compensation claim without success. The disclosure on radio by the Deputy Ranking member of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, that the amount had been paid to the people of Akwamu, had shocked them. This made them conduct series of investigations which allegedly revealed that the defendants were the people who took the money on behalf of the Akwamu people, hence the court action to claim the money. The defendants have denied knowledge of the GH�20million and in their defence, have argued that the action brought against them was based on mere allegations without any factual evidence.