Ato Essien, others charged with stealing, money laundering
Ato Essien, others plead not guilty
The High Court has temporarily halted the hearing of the criminal case against the founder of defunct Capital bank, Michael Ato Essien, pending the pronouncement from the Court of Appeal on an earlier ruling.
The court had earlier rejected an application for a stay of proceeding awaiting the ruling of the appeal court against its decision to admit unsigned documents into evidence.
According to Citinews room report, the Lawyer for William Ato Essien, Baffuor Gyau Bonsu Ashia, told the court that the processes were filed on May 4, with the Court of Appeal expected to hear the matter on May 23, 2022.
But the trial judge, Justice Eric Kyei Baffour (JA) said, “he did not find any clear provisions in the rules of the court whether civil or criminal proceedings that precluded the court from proceeding with the trial since an application for stay of proceedings at the appellate court could not operate as the stay of proceedings itself", citinewrooms reports.
The justice however exercised the court’s discretion to temporarily suspend the hearings.
The court has subsequently adjourned the case to the 25th of May, 2022, to abide by the decision of the Court of Appeal.
Background
Ato Essien is standing trial with two others for allegedly collapsing Capital Bank by dissipating GH¢620-million liquidity support given to the bank by the Bank of Ghana (BoG).
The prosecution has accused the three people of engaging in various illegal acts that led to the dissipation of the GH¢620-million liquidity support given to Capital Bank by the BoG between June 2015 and November 2016.
The accused persons have pleaded not guilty to all the charges of stealing, abetment to stealing, conspiracy to steal and money laundering.
Ato Essien, founder of defunct Capital Bank