Mpiani, Anane & co. for court

Friday, 12 March 2010 09:45

Written by The New Crusading Guide

The government has decided to take legal action against some former public office holders in connection with the alleged malfeasance in the operations of Ghana International Airlines Limited (GIAL).

A reliable source close to the office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice has hinted The New Crusading Guide that nine people had been listed to write their caution statements for the necessary processing to be done.

This was corroborated in a letter written to the Director-General/CID, at the CID Headquarters in Accra, by Gertrude G Aikins, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), which was intercepted by this paper.

Part of the letter read: "I refer to the investigations into the operations of the Ghana International Airlines Limited case and have been directed by the Attorney-General (A-G) and Minister for Justice to ask you to take caution statements from the underlisted suspects identified by the investigations."

The CID boss was instructed by the missive to act quickly "to enable us decide on who to charge in the final analysis," adding, "you may caution all of them on causing financial loss to the state".

According to the said letter, the suspects to be invited include Dr. Richard Anane, charged with willfully causing financial loss contrary to S.179A 3(a); Mr. Sam Crabbe - willfully causing financial loss contrary toS.179A 3(a); Mr. Kwadwo Mpianin - negligently causing financial loss to the state contrary to S.179A 2(a); Dr. Akoto Osei - negligently causing financial loss to the state contrary to S.179A 2(a); Mr. Sam Azu - negligently causing financial loss to the state contrary to S.179A 2(a) and Mr. Daniel Boakye Agyeman - negligently causing financial loss to the state contrary to S.179A 2(a).

The rest are Mr. Albert Vitale - willfully causing financial loss contrary to S.179A3 (a); Mr. Ralph Atkin - willfully causing financial loss contrary to S.179A 3(a) and Mr. Kirk Healon - willfully causing financial loss contrary to S.179A 3(a).

An Executive Summary of a team from the CID Headquarters which probed GIAL maintained that the flagship airline was experiencing serious financial and management crisis.

The team noted that the conduct of Mr. Samuel K.A.B. Crabbe and his company, Mary Glenslade Information Services Ltd. in respect of the Call Centre should be referred to the Attorney-General's office.

"The case docket on the wrongful withdrawal of US$1.9million should be referred to the Attorney-General's office for action," the team of investigators stated in it document chanced upon by The New Crusading Guide.

It continued that the I3 directors on the GIAL Board at various times did not pay taxes on their emoluments and "this should be referred to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue Service.

In addition, action should be taken against Sierra Consultancy Services and its directors for evasion of taxes".

Furthermore, the team recommended that steps should be taken to regularize the documentations on all monies given to GIAL by Government; the Government should get a team of experts together to restructure the airline and also institute forensic audit into the affairs of GIAL.

Finally, it recommended that the former Chief of. Staff, Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, Dr. Akoto Osei and Mr. G.A.M. Azu should be held responsible for the loss of an amount of US$54million to the state.