Franklin Cudjoe, IMANI Boss and Ernest Thompson, SSNIT Boss
An Accra District Court has dismissed a case in which Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) attempted to prosecute policy think tank, IMANI Ghana, for allegedly evading contributions of its staff.
IMANI founding president and Executive Director Franklin Cudjoe was dragged to court over claims that he evaded the contributions of his staff to SSNIT, a move seen by many as using the trust to hound organisations that were critical of the government?s handling of the economy and other socio-political issues.
The case was called last Saturday before Magistrate Charles Boateng where SSNIT?s prosecutor, Ms Rosemond Evans midway in the proceedings attempted to introduce fresh charges against the defendant, but IMANI?s lead counsel, Akoto Ampaw, resisted.
Lawyer Akoto Ampaw vehemently disagreed with SSNIT?s decision to drag IMANI to court and insisted that the trust misled the court in mounting the prosecution in the first place.
He said SSNIT?s action was ?unnecessary? and a waste of the court?s time and resources since IMANI had not offended the law and prayed the court to acquit and discharge Franklin Cudjoe for no crime committed.
Counsel told the court that IMANI?s Franklin Cudjoe had been arraigned for a delay in submitting documents covering the payroll information of the think tank?s staff to SSNIT and added that he (Mr Cudjoe) complied with SSNIT?s request and furnished them with the necessary documents and as a result did not see the reason for the instant prosecution.
Lawyer Ampaw said IMANI was in a position to assist SSNIT in the analysis of the submitted documents and the judge asked the parties to resolve the matter amicably.
After the case, Lawyer Ampaw told Citi FM that ?it is a vindication of our client and we are very pleased with the court?s ruling on the matter, but knowing the background to this case, we will not be surprised if they come back at us again; because the prosecutor even attempted to do so in court as she tried to raise new charges and the judge rightly said that was not part of the earlier charges brought against our client.?
Nevertheless, he said they were ready to get to the logical conclusion of the case, but advised SSNIT to thoroughly analyse the documents submitted by IMANI Ghana.
Counsel later told Joy FM that the verdict was a vindication of their strongly-held position that SSNIT was up to some mischief.
?It shows a malevolent attitude towards IMANI. Because here you are, you have a SSNIT which in a letter dated 4th of February 2014 saying that you have up to the 7th of February 2014 to produce some documents.
?Whilst that letter was being written, you had already preferred charges on the 28th of January. It pushes you to ask what really SSNIT wants. Is it the documents that it wants or is it something else?
?I leave to the public to make their own deductions and conclusions,? he added.
Other members of IMANI?s legal team were Hassan Tampuli and Kofi Bentil who is also the vice president of the think tank.
By William Yaw Owusu
