Two civil engineers granted bail for alleged bribery
Two civil engineers at the Department of Urban Roads of the Ministry of Roads and Highways have found themselves on the wrong side of the law for allegedly collecting money from an individual under the pretext of awarding him road contracts.
Advertisement
Benjamin Bampoh, who is stationed at the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) in the Greater Accra Region, and Francis Kwadwo Torsoo, stationed at the New Juaben Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region, were yesterday put before the Accra Circuit Court.
They pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit corruption by a public officer and corruption by a public officer.
The prosecution said Bampoh and Torsoo took GH¢2,000 and GH¢1,000, respectively, from an anti–corruption campaigner, known as Mr Saaka Salia, with a promise to give him road contracts.
The campaigner was said to have posed as a road contractor to investigate certain claims that the two civil engineers were allegedly taking bribes from road contractors with promises to give them contracts.
Bail
The court, presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh, granted Bampoh and Torsoo bail in the sum of GH¢30,000 each with one surety, following a bail application by their legal team.
Lawyers for the two civil engineers explained that their clients had a fixed place of abode and would not interfere with any investigations related to the case.
They also vowed that their clients would always make themselves available to the court throughout the hearing of the case.
Hearing continues on November 28, 2017.
Facts
According to the prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr George Amegah, the campaigner decided to investigate claims that Bampoh and Torsoo were allegedly using their position to amass wealth by awarding road contracts to people after taking huge sums of money.
He said in May 2017, Mr Salia visited Bampoh at his office at TMA during which the civil engineer promised to award him a lucrative road contract.
“Bampoh demanded and collected GH¢2,000 to influence the decision to award a contract even though he knew he could not do what he claimed,” DSP Amegah said.
After collecting the money, Bampoh, the prosecutor explained, referred Mr Salia to Torsoo at the New Juaben Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region as someone who could also give him road contracts.
“Arrangements were made by Bampoh for Torsoo to meet Mr Salia in Accra. At the meeting, Torsoo succeeded in collecting GH¢1,000 from the campaigner with a promise to give him a road contract,” he said.
Afterwards the campaigner reported the matter to the police, but Mr Amegah stated that Bampoh and Torsoo claimed Mr Salia gave them the money as a gift.
Writer’s email: [email protected]