Aguddey Appears In Court � After Months� Absence

Mr. George Aguddey, the 2004 presidential candidate of the Convention People�s Party (CPP) yesterday appeared in court after several months of absence due to illness. He has been absent from the Fast Track High Court since November last year when it began hearing his suit challenging the judgment of an Accra District Court which sentenced him to a three-month jail term for failing to pay his workers� Social Security contributions. When the case was called yesterday, Mr. Aguddey informed the court, presided over by Justice Utter Paul Dery, that he has changed his solicitors in the matter but did not assign any reason for the change. He stated that lawyers from Nsiah, Asare & Co law firm had taken over from Mr. Kwabena Baiden and that henceforth, they would represent him in court. Mr. Aguddey reminded the court that he has filed a notice to that effect. However, lead counsel for SSNIT, Mr. Akoto Baffour who was oblivious of the change complained to the court that SSNIT should have been informed earlier about the development. The judge took notice of the change and adjourned hearing to March 20 to enable the new lawyers study the application. Mr. Aguddey, who is also the Chief Executive of Gocrest Security Company Limited, filed the application for a stay of execution at the Fast Track High Court over a judgment by the District Court in November, last year. He challenged the judgment of the District Court last September 14 which pronounced three months� imprisonment on him for failing to pay his workers� Social Security contributions totalling GH�2,635,161.90. The court further ordered him to pay all his indebtedness in addition to a fine of GH� 6,000 or in default, serve an additional 18 months in jail. Few minutes after the judgment, Mr. Aguddey fell unconscious and was taken to the Police Hospital in Accra where he received treatment for a number of days before his lawyer, Kwabena Baiden went to the High Court to attempt to annul his conviction. His plea was accepted on health grounds at a court hearing where Mr. Aguddey appeared in person with clutches. A week later, he filed an application for a stay of execution at the same court but the application was thrown out. He is now seeking redress at the Fast Track High Court.