A final Forensic Audit Report released by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service on some documents to determine whether the late Chief of Gomoa Fetteh, Nana Abor Ewusi XIX authored the signatures representing him on all documents presented for the audit covering the family land has revealed some elements of forgery.
According to the report, which was signed by DSP Godwin Lavoe, Document Examiner and David Agyeman Adjem, Assistant Commissioner and Director of Forensic Science Lab, the alleged signatures representing Nana Abor Ewusi XIX on the Indenture No.? CCT. 530A/81 which was made on June 1, 1981 were handwritten not signature stamps and were also different from those on other documents and therefore could not represent Nana Abor Ewusi XIX.
The report is in response to a formal request from the Superintended of Property Fraud Section of the Criminal Investigations Department to the Director General of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service requesting the latter to undertake the forensic examination on some documents labeled as Exhibits A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H which had been subject of controversy surrounding ownership of the Anona Kakabaa Royal Family land.
The audit considered Application for Pass which was handwritten dated on 16, March 1993 marked ‘A’, Application for Pass (handwritten) dated 22, March 1994 marked ‘B’, Application for Pass (handwritten) dated 22, March 1994 marked ‘C’, Confirmation of Authorization dated 18, April 1994 marked ‘D’, Typewritten document marked ‘E’, Application for Permit dated 20, July 1994 marked ‘F’, An Indenture No. CCT. 530A/81 made on 1st June, 1981 marked ‘G’ and An Indenture No. CCT. 530A/81 made on 1st June 1981 marked ‘H’.
It was observed by the examiners that, writing basis are not instinctive or hereditary but the complex process that are developed gradually through habit and that handwriting is unique to each individual.
They also stated that writing habits or individual characteristics distinguish one person’s handwriting from another.
A process of analysis, comparison and evaluation is conducted between the genuine standards and questioned documents and that in order to ascertain the similarities and differences in these documents, the examiners said, substantial agreement in sufficient handwriting characteristics was considered to identify the writer and eliminate the possibility of another writer.
In the light of this, handwriting characteristics such as line quality, pressure pattern, rhythm, slant, size and proportion, spatial alignment, initial, terminal strokes, method of construction and pattern formation were examined.
It was established that all signatures representing Nana Abor Ewusi XIX on documents were extensively compared against each other and was established that all signatures representing him on documents ‘G’ and ‘H’ though photocopies are not signature stamps and therefore are handwritten which do not have any similar identifying characteristics with the signature stamp on documents marked ‘A’ ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘E’, and ‘F’.
The report also established that all signatures representing Nana Abor Ewusi XIX on documents marked ‘A’ ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘E’, and ‘F’are signature stamps that have the same as line quality, pressure pattern, rhythm, slant, size and proportion, spatial alignment, initial, terminal stroke and that signatures representing or allegedly representing Nana Abor Ewusi XIX on documents ‘A’ ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘E’, and ‘F’ sit exactly on each other indicating same signature stamp was used.
Heads and members of the Anona Kakabaa Royal Family of Goma Fetteh who considered the findings in the report as excellent representation of the fact that signature of the late Nana Abor Ewusi XIX was forged by some self-seeking persons whose intentions are to fraudulently acquire the family property are unhappy about deliberate attempts by some people within the traditional house to use forged documents to sell off over 2000 acre of their lands.
They called on the State Security Agencies to look into the matter and take action so as to ensure peace within the land.
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