Lawyer in court over forged will

A 52-year-old legal practitioner has been arraigned with four others at the Achimota Circuit Court for allegedly forging a will. 

The Lawyer, Joseph Kwow Addo Sam, and the Chief of Banda in Accra, Alhaji Seidu Adams; Baba Abdul Salia, Abubakar Salia and Saeed Salia were slapped with the charges of conspiracy, forgery of official documents, altering of official documents and perjury.

Appearing before the court presided over by Akosua Anokyewaa Adjepong, the lawyer and the Chief pleaded not guilty to the charges.  Sam has been admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢200,000 with three sureties, one to be a public servant earning not less than GH¢3,000.

Meanwhile, Saeed Salia’s plea has been deferred to August 15 since he was recently arrested. Alhaji Baba, on the other hand, was earlier admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢150,000 with three sureties, one of whom should be a public servant earning not less than GH¢2000.

Abdul Salia and Abubakar Salia are currently on the run. The case has been adjourned to August 15 this year. 

Brief facts

Narrating the facts of the case, the prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Isaac Babayi, said the complainant, Addris Salia, is a businessman. He added that Isaac Babayi said after the death of Alhaji Salia Abdullai on June 23, 2021, a will surfaced purported to be the last ‘will’ of the late Alhaji Salia Abdullai.

The prosecutor said the same has been deposited at the registry of the High Court, Probate Division since May, this year. ASP Babayi said the said will was witnessed by the late Tony Kenyin Foli and Alhaji Baba.

The prosecutor said the complainant became suspicious when he obtained a copy of the said will and conducted his private checks and found out that his late father, Alhaji Salia Abdullai’s, and the late Tony Kenyin Foli’s signatures on the said will had been forged and he petitioned the Director-General of the CID for investigation. 

Copy

The prosecutor said a certified true copy of the said will was obtained from the Registrar, High Court (Probate Division), adding that Police also obtained from the Regional Police Headquarters/CID a copy of a statement of Tony Kenyin Foli, now deceased, previously submitted, whose name appeared on the said will as a witness.

“Investigation was extended to the Ecobank, GCB Bank and the Registrar General’s Department where signature samples of the late Alhaji Salia Abdullai were obtained.

“Both undisputed signature samples of the late Alhaji Salia Abdullai and the late Tony Kenyin Foli, together with the disputed signature samples on the purported will were sent to the Comptroller General, Ghana Immigration Service Forensic Department and Spotlight Security Solution for forensic examination.

“Investigations revealed that the disputed signatures on the purported will and probate form (Judicial form 35) were not authored by the named persons.

“It was established that Al conspired with A2, A3, A4 and A5 to prepare the forged will of the late Alhaji Salia Abdullai and A2 signed as a witness for it to be believed that it was a true last will of the late Alhaji Salia Abdullai,” he said.

Upon preparation of the said will, the prosecutor said they presented same at the High Court Registry, together with a Probate form.

ASP Babayi said on November 8, 2021, three of the accused persons applied to the High Court 2, Accra, for a grant of Probate based on the forged will, adding that the complainant was suspicious of the will and petitioned the Police, leading to their arrest.