Court exonerates former Buem MP, Chief over embezzlement
By: Isaac Boamah Darko
JASIKAN, 21st February 2023 – After a tumultuous eleven-year legal battle, Hon. Daniel Kwesi Ashiamah and Nana Otimpong Otibiribi III have been acquitted and discharged of all charges related to the alleged misappropriation of thirty-five thousand United States dollars (US$ 35,000) belonging to the American NGO, PPEP (Portable Practical Education Preparation) for Education and Poverty Prevention), owned by Dr. John David Arnold. The verdict was delivered by His Lordship, Alfred Kwabena Asiedu, presiding judge at the Jasikan Circuit Court.
The saga began in August and September 2010 when Nana Otimpong Otibiribi III, chief of Buem-Baika Dangbea clan, informed Hon. Daniel Kwesi Ashiamah about an opportunity to work with a non-governmental organization based in Arizona. The organization, which operated as a charted school and philanthropy had also promised to support the local community with an annual sum of US$25,000. Coincidentally, Hon. Ashiamah had recently completed his BSc in marketing and was vying for the assembly member position in the old Baika electoral area.
In December 2010, the first installment of the promised funds was deposited into the ECOBANK account of Hon. Ashiamah’s brother, Seth Ashiamah. Subsequent installments followed, and the money was utilized for various community projects, including office rehabilitation, vehicle rental, provision of meals and fuel, and financial support for local farmers between December 2010 and December 2012.
Under Hon. Ashiamah’s leadership, two 3-unit classroom blocks were rehabilitated in old Baika, along with another 3-unit classroom block in New Baika. Additionally, funds were allocated for the construction of an eagle nest, drilling of four boreholes, procurement of tables and chairs for a conference room, and the clearing of a container containing two cars and house fixtures.
However, tensions arose when Dr. John David Arnold, CEO of PEPP, began exhibiting inappropriate behavior in both Accra and Baika. Despite warnings from Nana Otimpong Otibiribi III, Dr. Arnold persisted. In response, Hon. Ashiamah penned a detailed six-page letter to PPEP, outlining the CEO’s actions in Ghana. This incensed Dr. Arnold, who subsequently accused both Hon. Ashiamah and Nana Otimpong Otibiribi III of theft, misappropriation, and embezzlement of the NGO’s funds. These allegations were widely publicized by newspapers such as the Ghanaian Times, Palaver, and Vanguard.
Following the media frenzy, Dr. Arnold lodged formal complaints with various law enforcement agencies, including the Commission On Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters of the Ghana Police Service, the Volta Regional Police Commander, and the Hohoe Divisional Police. The Speaker of Parliament, Right Hon. Aaron Mike Oquaye, was also informed of the allegations.
Hon. Ashiamah was subsequently served with a summons, and the police requested his statement. After due process, he was initially brought before the Kpando Circuit Court, where he and Nana Otimpong Otibiribi III were ultimately acquitted and discharged of all charges. Unsatisfied with this outcome, Dr. Arnold pursued the case further, leading to the trial at the Jasikan Circuit Court.
On the 21st of February 2023, the Jasikan court concluded that Hon. Daniel Kwesi Ashiamah and Nana Otimpong Otibiribi III were not guilty of stealing, embezzling, or misappropriating the alleged thirty-five thousand United States dollars (US$ 35,000).
This landmark verdict marks the end of a long and arduous legal battle for Hon. Ashiamah and Nana Otimpong Otibiribi III, who can now begin to rebuild their lives and reputations after enduring years of media vilification, police harassment, and public scrutiny.