The prosecution in the trial in which a 52-year-old legal practitioner is standing trial for allegedly forging a will has decided to continue the trail, a Principal State Attorney, Dominic Bakoma, has told the trial court.
This comes after the Attorney-General took over the prosecution of the case from the police prosecutors in November last year after a petition from the complainant, Idris Salia.
As a result, the Achimota Circuit Court, presided over by Akosua Anokyewaa Adjepong, has given the state attorney up to March 11, 2025 to study docket and file all necessary documents needed for the trial before the next adjourned date.
Charges
Joseph Kwow Addo Sam, a 52-year-old private legal practitioner, along with Alhaji Seidu Adams Baba, said to be the Chief of Banda in Accra and three siblings—Abdul Salia (alias Abdallai Salia Junior), Abubakar Salia and Saeed Salia—were in August last year charged with conspiracy, forgery, altering official documents and perjury.
Two of the three siblings—Abdul Salia (alias Abdallai Salia Junior) and Abubakar Salia—were on the run at the time the police prosecutors filed the case at the circuit court.
However, in October last year, the police prosecution informed the court that the charge sheet had been amended, dropping charges against all three siblings: Abdul Salia (alias Abdallai Salia Junior), Abubakar Salia and Saeed Salia.
Dissatisfied with the development, the complainant petitioned the Attorney General’s Office on October 30, 2024.
Brief Facts
Narrating the facts of the case, the prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Isaac Babayi, said the complainant, Addris Salia, is a businessman.
He added that Isaac Babayi said after the death of Alhaji Salia Abdullai on June 23, 2021, a will surfaced purported to be the last ‘will’ of the late Alhaji Salia Abdullai.
The prosecutor said the same had been deposited at the registry of the High Court, Probate Division since May, last year.
ASP Babayi said the said will was witnessed by the late Tony Kenyin Foli and Alhaji Baba.
The prosecutor said the complainant became suspicious when he obtained a copy of the said will and conducted his private checks and found out that his late father,
Alhaji Salia Abdullai and the late Tony Kenyin Foli’s signatures on the said will had been forged and he petitioned the Director-General of the CID for investigation.
Copy
The prosecutor said a certified true copy of the said will was obtained from the Registrar, High Court (Probate Division), adding that the police also obtained from the Regional Police Headquarters/CID a copy of a statement of Tony Kenyin Foli, now deceased, previously submitted, whose name appeared on the said will as a witness.
“Investigation was extended to the Ecobank, GCB Bank and the Registrar General’s Department where signature samples of the late Alhaji Salia Abdullai were obtained.
“Both undisputed signature samples of the late Alhaji Salia Abdullai and the late Tony Kenyin Foli, together with the disputed signature samples on the purported will were sent to the Comptroller General, Ghana Immigration Service Forensic Department and Spotlight Security Solution for forensic examination.
“Investigations revealed that the disputed signatures on the purported will and probate form (Judicial form 35) were not authored by the named persons.
“It was established that Al conspired with A2, A3, A4 and A5 to prepare the forged will of the late Alhaji Salia Abdullai and A2 signed as a witness for it to be believed that it was a true last will of the late Alhaji Salia Abdullai,” he said.
Upon preparation of the said will, the prosecutor said they presented the same at the High Court Registry, together with a Probate form.
ASP Babayi said on November 8, 2021, three of the accused persons applied to the High Court 2, Accra, for a grant of Probate based on the forged will, adding that the complainant was suspicious of the will and petitioned the Police, leading to their arrest.
