An Accra Circuit Court was unable to commence hearing into the case of two Civil Engineers of Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development who allegedly took GHȼ3,000.00 as bribes in order to award contract to an anti-corruption campaigner.
This was because the substantive Prosecutor DSP George Amegah was in another court and a witness who was to give evidence was also stuck in Buipe in the Northern Region due to the rehabilitation of a bridge in the region.
Chief Inspector Georgina Sabi who held brief for the prosecution told the court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh on Tuesday.
Mr Kasim Muniru and Mr Bernard Owiredu Donkor represented the engineers namely Benjamin Bampoh and Francis Kwadwo Torsoo.
The court at its last sitting ordered prosecution to get ready with their witnesses for hearing to start today.
The matter was therefore adjourned to December 12.
It further directed that the substantive Prosecutor must endeavour to be in court at the next sitting.
Bampoh and Torsoo are said to have collected GHȼ2,000.00 and GHȼ1,000.00 respectively from the anti-corruption campaigner.
They have been charged with conspiracy and corruption by a public officer.
The two have pleaded not guilty and the court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh has admitted them to bail in the sum of GHȼ30,000.00 with a surety each.
DSP Amegah said Saka Salia, a farmer and an anti- corruption campaigner, the complainant is resident in Accra whiles the accused persons are attached to the Department of Urban Roads at Tema Metro and New Juaben Assembly respectively.
The prosecution said in May this year, Mr Saka received series of reports that that accused persons have been using their offices to amass wealth by awarding urban road contracts to persons after taking huge sums of money from them depending on the value of the contract.
To ascertain the truth or otherwise, Mr Saka and other witnesses visited the office of Bampoh at Tema Metro Urban Roads Office.
The prosecution said at a meeting with Bampoh in his office he convinced the complainant he can with Torsoo who is at the new Juaben Assembly could secure him and other witnesses lucrative contracts to construct some urban roads provided ” they do something,”” by parting with some monies.
Bampoh demanded and collected GHȼ2,000.00 and referred them to Torsoo to award some contracts at the New Juaben Municipal Assembly.
DSP Amegah said Bampoh arranged for a meeting between Torsoo, the complainant and other witnesses at African Regency Hotel in Accra.
At the meeting Torsoo promised them to award a contract. Bampoh and Torsoo and told the complainant that due to the strict measures put in place by the Director of Urban Roads they were going to hatch a plan to neutralise him to pave way for the contracts.
The Prosecution said the accused have meanwhile admitted taking money from the complainant but explained that the money was a gift.
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