The office of the Attorney-General is yet to decide on a plea bargain request by Patience Botwe, one of seven accused persons on trial for the theft of various amounts of money, jewellery and personal items of former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah.
Patience Botwe and Sarah Agyei, Cecilia Dapaah’s two housemaids, have been charged with conspiracy and stealing, while Benjamin Sowah, Malik Dauda, Christiana Achab, Job Pomary, and Yahaya Sumaila are facing charges of dishonestly receiving stolen money.
At the last adjourned date, the prosecution, led by State Attorney Abena Konadu Adjei, notified the court that five of the accused persons had submitted petitions to the A-G’s office for plea bargains.
But in court on Monday, May 12, the State Attorney indicated that the plea bargain requests of Sarah Agyei, Benjamin Sowah, Malik Dauda, and Yahya Sumaila had been withdrawn, and the Attorney General’s office was considering the request by the first accused, Patience Botwe.
She informed the court that the Attorney General is yet to decide on the request and hence prayed the court for more time.
Presiding Judge Marie Louise Simmons directed the prosecution to refile their motions after they hinted at an application to request the court to grant a freeze order on alleged properties purchased by the accused persons with the alleged stolen monies.
The lawyer for the third and fourth accused persons cross-examined the former minister, after which the case was adjourned to Friday, May 16.
