Court orders EOCO to release Afaglo’s passport

An Accra High Court has ordered that the passport of Caleb Kweku Afaglo, one of the accused persons in the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) case be released to him by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

Mr Philip Abaidoo, his Counsel had filed a motion for an order directed at Mr K.K Amoah, the Executive Director of EOCO for the release of his client’s passport.

The Counsel prayed the Court that the passport was seized by EOCO since the arrest of Afaglo in April, this year before he was arraigned in July.

His plea was heard by the Commercial Court presided over by Justice Henry Anthony Kwoffie, a Court of Appeal Judge sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court Judge and he asked that the passport be released.

Afaglo, a former General Manager of Management Information System at SSNIT together with four others were variously charged with 29 counts of conspiracy, wilfully causing financial loss to the State and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.

He was additionally charged with defrauding by false pretences, possession of forged documents and altering of forged documents.

They have all denied the charges.

Ernest Thompson, the immediate past Director General of SSNIT, John Hagan Mensah, an Information Technology Infrastructure Manager-SSNIT, Juliet Hassana Kramer, Chief Executive Officer of Perfect Business System and Silver Lake Structured Service Limited and Peter Hayibor, a General Manager/General Counsel of SSNIT were his accomplices.

They allegedly wilfully caused over $66 million loss to the State in operating business suit contract which sought to provide state-of-the-art pension administration system.

The case has been adjourned to December 14.

Source: GNA