By Morkporkpor Anku
Accra, Jan. 16, GNA- Mr Edward Out Larbie, a sales manager, has told an Accra High Court trying Nana Appiah Mensah, Chief Executive Officer, Menzgold Ghana Limited, that the company denied him dividends on his investments.
He said the promises made by the accused person and his Company were never fulfilled.
Mr Larbie, who is the second prosecution witness in his evidence in Chief, told the court that he believed in the company so much, but all the promises made were not met.
Nana Mensah is standing trial for 61 counts of abetment, defrauding by false pretences, carrying on deposit-taking business without a license, unlawful deposit-taking, and money laundering.
His plea to the amended charges is yet to be taken.
The accused persons have denied the charges and the court on July 26, 2019, admitted him to bail in the sum of GHS1billion with five sureties, three to be justified.
The Court has ordered him to report to the Police every Wednesday, pending the outcome of the case.
Initially, Mr Kwame Akufo, the Counsel for NAM 1, objected to some paragraphs in the witness statement, saying the witness was not competent to speak on the issues in that paragraph concerning one Isaac Kojo Okyere, who has a joint investment with the witness.
He said there was no evidence to show that the witness had been authorized to make any criminal complaint.
The Counsel said under the Evidence Act, the witness was not competent to speak to the matters raised and when he spoke for Okyere and it was admitted, he could not have the opportunity to cross-examine him because he was not in court currently.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Yvonne Attakora-Obuobisa, opposed the objection, saying the witness was competent to testify on the paragraphs being objected to.
She said the witness had already in his statement laid significant introductions to show that he knew the issues.
She said the witness was competent to testify on his dealings with the accused persons and he had documents that bore his name to show that he made the transactions personally.
The Court, in its ruling, said it had critically examined the issues and was satisfied that the witness had not made any hearsay statement regarding matters contained in the paragraphs in his witness statement.
The Court said it was satisfied that the witness had personal knowledge of the matter contained and mentioned in consonant with Section 60 of the NRCD.
The case has been adjourned to Wednesday, January 17, 2024.
GNA