Kofi Adams accused of doctoring text message

National Organizer of the NDC, Kofi Adams

The credibility of Kofi Adams, National Organiser of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has been challenged by the lawyer for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kamsak Ghana Limited, Arnold Asante, who has been accused of defrauding the NDC man.

Kofi Adams was put in the dock of an Accra Circuit Court to be cross-examined in a case he claimed to have been defrauded to the tune of GH¢840,000.

The accused person allegedly defrauded Mr Adams under the pretext of securing a deal that involved the supply of tyres to Goldfields Ghana.

The businessman was dragged to court when he failed to pay back the money he took as agreed between him and Mr. Adams.

At the last sitting, Mr Kofi Adams had tendered in text messages between him and Mr. Asante, which were said to be conversations that made him (Adams) to part with the huge amount of money.

But defence lawyer, George Ampiah Bonny, in his cross-examination, questioned the authenticity of the text messages, saying they had been doctored by Kofi Adams to deceive the court.

People in the courtroom were taken by surprise when Mr Adams stated that he did not sign any contract or document to show the release of the GH¢840,000 to the accused person.

He said he released the money based on a verbal submission made by Mr. Asante.

It turned out during the cross-examination that Mr Kofi Adams also gave the accused a brand new Nissan pickup to facilitate his business.

He, however, stated that he released the vehicle because the accused demanded it to enable him travel to Tarkwa in the Western Region.

During his evidence-in-chief, Kofi Adams told the court that he did not know the accused person too well but decided to give him an initial GH¢200,000 which he was to pay back in three weeks, but failed to do so.

Asked by Mr Ampiah Bonny why he (Adams) released such a huge amount of money when he claimed he did not know the accused too well, the NDC national organiser said the accused had in the past dealt with some high-profile Ghanaians and “when he approached me on December 12, 2016 that he had been offered a contract to supply 30 industrial tires to Tarkwa Goldfields, I had no doubt about it and without any thought of profit or whatsoever, I agreed to the application and gave him the money.”

The lawyer then demanded to know why he released another GH¢640,000 when the accused had not paid the initial debt, Kofi Adams told the court that Asante had forwarded to him a text message from the Procurement Officer of Goldfields, which indicated that they needed more tires so he obliged and gave him the money.

The defence lawyer is also insisting that Kofi Adams voluntarily released the money to the accused, suggesting that Mr. Adams wanted to partner the accused in his business – a claim he (Adams) denied.

The presiding judge, Jane Harriet Akweley Quaye, adjourned the case to January 23, 2018 to allow the defence team conclude their cross-examination.

A second prosecution witness is also expected to enter the dock on the next adjourned date.