Ahwoi testifies on alleged ban of former Auditor-General in defamation case
Johnson Asiedu Nketia
The controversial claim that former Auditor-General, Professor Dua Agyeman, was banned from practicing as an accountant and auditor took center stage during cross-examination in a defamation case against Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Read full articleProfessor Kwamena Ahwoi testified as a witness, providing crucial insights into the case.
Mr. Asiedu Nketia faces a GH¢20 million defamation lawsuit for alleging that Prof. Agyeman fabricated audit reports, leading to his expulsion by the Institute of Chartered Accounts Ghana.
Prof. Ahwoi, a member of the Citizens Vetting Committee (CVC) in 1982, testified that the committee discovered a forged audit document submitted by Prof. Agyeman, which he did not contest at the time, Graphic Online reports.
During cross-examination, Prof. Ahwoi, wearing a stone blue kaftan and his signature fedora hat, admitted that he did not present any direct evidence to support his claim that Prof. Agyeman was banned by the Ghana Institute of Chartered Accountants, now the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG).
He mentioned that the incident was reported in the Daily Graphic on February 25 and 28, 1982, but he did not have the original report or the letter from GICA that enacted the ban.
Further probing by the plaintiff’s counsel revealed that Prof. Ahwoi did not have a copy of the letter from GICA. He explained that the CVC's secretariat no longer existed, and attempts to retrieve the letter from ICAG were unsuccessful due to the institute’s policy of not keeping records beyond 25 years.
Despite this, Prof. Ahwoi insisted that living witnesses could corroborate his testimony.
Asiedu Nketia’s legal team has announced plans to subpoena Kojo Thompson and Oko Nikoi Dzanie, both former members of the CVC, to provide additional testimony.
The case has been adjourned to July 25, 2024, as the court awaits further evidence and witness statements to clarify the disputed ban on Prof. Agyeman.
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