Monies in my account not proceeds of crime – Third accused in Pegasus case
The third accused Nana Owusu Ensaw, a former board Member of the National Communication Authority (NCA) on Thursday said the amount of $300,000 deposited in 2016 in his account was not the proceeds of crime but as a result of hard work.
The accused was answering questions under cross-examination by Mrs Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the $4 million cyber security machine trial which the NCA was purported to have purchased.
He said it was false for the prosecution to say that he benefitted from purchase of the Pegasus machine, recalling that the case investigator, Chief Inspector Nkrumah told the court in his evidence that, he (Ensaw) did not take part in the meeting, discussion and purchase of the cybersecurity machine.
The accused said he did not understand why prosecution would say that he (Ensaw) got $200,000 and at another point claim it was $300,000.
The third accused recounted how his company won a contract from Hauwei Company and some monies were paid into his company account.
The third accused also told the court presided over by Mr Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, a Court of Appeal Judge sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court Judge that, apart from being a Physician Specialist, he was into communication and construction.
He denied that he and Eugene Boaffoe Bonnie, former Board Chairman NCA, William T.Tevie and George Derrick Oppong, managing Director of Infralock Development (IDL) acted together to steal and caused financial loss to the state through the payment of the four million dollars made to IDL.
According to him if the assertion by the prosecution was that he and other accused acted together to steal, the case investigator should have charged him with stealing.
He debunked prosecution assertion that Baffoe Bonnie instructed him to collect some money from any of the accused.
When the prosecution told Ensaw to produce receipts of transactions on how he changed his cedis to dollars, he answered that he does not keep those receipts.
According to accused, what mattered to him was to get the needed dollars after discussing with the forex bureau operators.
The accused said one of his Directors known at Mr Tia normally withdrew money for his company and he sometimes issued and withdrew cheques.
The court ordered Ensaw to endeavor to produce his witness at the next adjourned date.
In furtherance of this, Oppong, the fifth accused person’s lawyer, Mr Andrew Obeng Appau was also ordered by the court to prepare to cross examined the third accused at the next sitting.
Ensaw is standing trial with Eugene Baffoe Bonnie, former Board Chairman; William Tetteh Tevie former NCA Director General; Alhaji Salifu Mimina, former Deputy National Security Coordinator; and George Derrick Oppong, a Director of Infralock Development Limited.
The accused have been variously charged with stealing, using public office for personal gain, wilfully causing financial loss to the state in respect of the purchase of a cyber-security equipment worth four million dollars.
They have all denied the charges and are currently on bail.
The trial is expected to continue on February 18.
Source: GNA