Counsel for Amoateng files written address
The defence in the case in which a former Member of Parliament (MP) for Nkoranza North, Eric Amoateng, is facing forgery charges has now filed its written address.
Advertisement
The Accra Circuit Court trying the case had fixed Wednesday to give its judgement but had to adjourn the case to July 26 because of the latest development.
Amoateng is being tried for the alleged possession of a fake passport.
At the court’s sitting on May 16, 2016, the presiding judge, Mrs Vivian Ellen Amoah, had fixed Wednesday to give its judgement after counsel for Amoateng, Mr Charles Pouzuing, had informed the court that the prosecution had furnished him with all the necessary documents related to the case and he was, therefore, ready to file his response.
The court then gave him up to June 15, 2016 to file his response
It is not clear if Mr Pouzuing missed the June 15, 2016 deadline, for which reason the court had to adjourn the case.
But during Wednesday’s sitting, he said he had filed the document and offered a copy to the judge, who said she was yet to receive it.
Charge
Amoateng was arrested by the police in August 2014 when he arrived in the country after serving a 10-year jail term in the United States of America for a drug-related offence.
Other Trending Stories
He has pleaded not guilty to the charge of possessing a forged document and has been admitted to a GH¢200,000 bail with three sureties.
According to the prosecution, Amoateng was, on December 11, 2005, arrested in the USA for possessing heroin valued at $6 million.
It said Amoateng was tried, convicted and subsequently sentenced to a 10-year prison term and released on July 30, 2014.
About 2:20 p.m. on August 7, 2014, Amoateng arrived at the Kotoka International Airport and while going through arrival formalities, he was found to be in possession of a Ghanaian passport with number H02347080.
The passport, the prosecution said, was in the name of Barbara Inkum and was issued on February 23, 2009 at a time Amoateng was in prison in the USA.
It said analysis of the passport by the Document Fraud Office of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) showed that it was a forged one, since its biodata page had been substituted.