SSNIT OBS Trial: One freed, Ernest Thompson, 3 others to open defence

Juliet Hassana Kramer, Chief Executive Officer of Perfect Business System who was held in the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Operational Business Suites (OBS) trial, has been acquitted and discharged from all her charges.

 
Ms Kramer was freed by an Accra High Court “s ruling in a submission of no case put in by her lawyers.

 
The Chief Executive Officer of Perfect Business System (PBS) was freed on charges of willfully causing financial loss, conspiracy to commit crime, defrauding by false pretences, Contravention of Public Procurement Act.

 
The court presided over by Justice Henry Kwofie, a Supreme Court Judge sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court Judge, however ordered four other accused persons to open their defence because a prima facie case has been established against them. 

The four accused who are to open their defense are Ernest Thompson, former Director General of SSNIT, John Hagan Mensah, a former IT Manager,SSNIT, Caleb Kwaku Afaglo, former Head of Management Information System (MIS) and Peter Hayibor, Counsel for SSNIT.

 
They are to open their defence in respect of the following charges.

 
Ernest Thompson and John Hagan Mensah were ordered to open their defence in respect of some counts of conspiracy to commit crime and willfully causing financial loss to the state. 

 
The court, however, freed Thompson on nine the counts of conspiracy to commit crime and willfully causing financial loss, contravention of the Public Procurement Act.

 
Afaglo was also directed to open his defence in respect of the following charges, being defrauding by false pretences, Possession of forged documents and uttering forged documents.

  
In the case of Peter Hayibor, he was ordered to open his defence in respect of willfully causing financial loss to the State and conspiracy to commit crime.

 
Prosecution led by Mrs Yvonne Atakorah Obuobisa, Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), called 10 witnesses to establish a prima facie case against them.

 
However,  defence counsel of the accused filed a submission of no case.

 
The accused denied the various charges and were admitted to bail.

 
 The accused were hauled to court for the alleged roles they played in the $66 million SSNIT OBS project.

 
The SSNIT OBS project was intended to revamp SSNIT operations through Information and Communications Technology.

 
Afaglo is alleged to have secured his employment at SSNIT with fake certificates. 

The matter has been adjourned to December 19, 2024.