Charges Against Asamoah Boateng Reduced

The Attorney-General�s Department has the reduced from seven to two, charges they preferred against former Minister of Information, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, who is standing trial for allegedly conspiring with his wife and seven others to defraud the State to the tune of 860million cedis or 86,000 Ghana new cedis. Mr. Asamoah Boateng would now face charges of Conspiracy to Defraud the State and Awarding of Contract without Recourse to the Public Procurement law. Two new charges have also been added to the original charges of 14, to bring the total charges preferred severally against the accused persons to 16. The accused persons are Mr. and Mrs Asamoah Boateng, Frank Agyekum, Kofi Asamoah Boateng, Dominic Yaw Sampong, Prosper Anku, Kwabena Denkyira and Jasmine Domua. They have all been charged for conspiracy to defraud the state, awarding contract without recourse to the procurement law, deceit of public officer and using false documents, as well as forgery. They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them. The initial charges were 14, but just as proceedings for today (Thursday, 27th August) were about to commence, the Principal State Attorney, Anthony Gyambiby, told the court presided over by Justice Charles Quist, that two new charges have been added to the original charges against the accused persons. This compelled lawyers for the accused persons to ask the trial judge to give them ample time to study the new charges to enable them defend their client, to which the judge upheld the request. Hearing of the case has been adjourned to September 8th, 2009.