Okudzeto
Ablakwa
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Two
persons
charged
with
impersonation
of
North
Tongu
Member
of
Parliament,
Samuel
Okudzeto
Ablakwa
were
left
as
sitting
ducks
in
court
when
the
case
was
called.
The
accused
persons
Promise
Ahorgah,
a
phone
repairer,
and
Kwaotse
Mawuli,
a
building
construction
labourer,
according
to
the
prosecution,
created
social
media
accounts
in
the
name
of
the
North
Tongu
MP
to
solicit
funds
on
behalf
of
victims
affected
by
the
Akosombo
and
Kpong
Dam
Spillage.
They
have
pleaded
not
guilty
to
six
counts
of
allegedly
defrauding
unsuspecting
Ghanaians
and
have
been
granted
GHC50,000
bail
each.
In
court
on
Monday,
July
8,
the
defense
counsel
for
the
accused
was
notably
absent.
Asked
about
the
whereabouts
of
their
lawyer,
they
explained
to
Justice
Lydia
Osei
that
due
to
their
failure
to
pay,
their
lawyer
had
dropped
the
case.
They
pleaded
with
the
court
for
more
time
to
resolve
these
issues.
Justice
Osei
Marfo
then
appealed
to
lawyers
present
in
the
courtroom
who
weren’t
State
Attorneys
to
come
to
the
aid
of
the
accused
persons.
Private
legal
practitioner,
Martin
Kpebu
who
was
present
with
his
team
of
lawyers
indicated
that
they
would
take
on
the
case
as
pro-bono.
When
the
case
resumed,
prosecution
led
by
Senior
State
Attorney,
Nancy
Korkor
Hammond
informed
the
court
that
the
prosecution
was
supposed
to
file
a
new
charge
sheet
based
on
new
information.
However,
they
had
been
unable
to
complete
this
task.
Hammond
assured
the
court
that
the
new
charge
sheet
would
be
filed
by
the
next
hearing
date.
“We’re
supposed
to
file
a
new
charge
sheet
based
on
new
information.
Unfortunately,
we’ve
been
unable
to
do
so.
If
we
come
back
by
the
25th,
by
then
we
would
have
done
so,”
Hammond
stated.
The
judge,
considering
the
circumstances
and
the
commitments
made
by
the
prosecution,
adjourned
the
case
to
July
25.
The
additional
time
is
expected
to
allow
both
the
defense
and
prosecution
to
prepare
adequately
for
the
next
phase
of
the
trial.