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| Bailiff breaks into Eva Lokko''''s office |
1/11/2007 |
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Accra, Jan. 11, GNA - After over a year of being under lock and key, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) Former Director-General, Eva Lokko''''s office was on Thursday broken into to allow an inventory to be taken.
The entry into the office was necessitated by the refusal of Ms Lokko and her Legal Team, Bentsi Enchill and Letsa to open the door to enable Mr Franklin Duncan-Williams, the Bailiff to carry out a high court order given on January 8, 2007, consequent to a judgement by Mr Justice E. L. Dzakpasu on November 6, 2006.
The Court ordered Ms Lokko and her Legal Team to open the doors to her office for the Bailiff to take inventory of items in the office on Thursday, January 11, 2007 at exactly 11:00 hours.
Contrary to the Court''''s order, neither Ms Lokko nor her Legal Team showed up at the premises of GBC with the keys to the door. When GBC Lawyers, Matthews Consult represented by Mr Michael Anokye managed to get Mr Ace Ankomah on phone at about 11:30 hours, he (Mr. Ankomah) claimed he had gotten the High Court Registrar, Mr S. B. Issaka to postpone the implementation of the order to January 12, 2007 at 15:00 hours.
The GBC Lawyers contacted the High Court Registrar on phone and he vehemently denied ever postponing the effective date for the office to be opened.
After waiting for about one-and-a-half hours, Mr Anthony Matthews, Chief Executive Officer of Matthews Consult, showed up with a faxed letter from Ms Lokko''''s legal representatives stating their request for the postponement, but Mr Matthews insisted that the letter arrived at 10:50 hours, 10 minutes before the effective time and moreover it was not legally binding on them.
Finally at about 12:30 hours the GBC security men broke into the office through a door located in the Secretary''''s Office because the main door to the D-G''''s office was blocked with a chair from behind. The Bailiff took inventory of the items and equipment, which had been covered with dust.
It was discovered that two computers in the office; a close circuit monitor and keyboard; as well as the base of an electric water heater were on.
They also found a black doll sitting on one of the wooden file cabinets; a plaque with the inscription: "With God all things are possible - Matthew 19:26". There was also the image of an Egyptian mummy.
Other items found in the office included 100 files containing documents; which the Acting D-G, Mr Yaw Owusu-Addo needed to work with but did not have access to; three wall clocks; a TV set; a video cassette recorder; a Multi-choice decoder; a hi-fi system; many VHS cassettes; 11 beta cam cassettes; loads of sealed envelopes in a polythene bag; books; magazines; wall hangings; a printer; two telephones; a laptop bag and charger; a fax machine; hampers; three swivel chairs; two Bibles and a Koran.
Earlier Mr Anokye told journalists that prior to the order carried out on January 11, 2007, the Court had on July 17, 2006 ordered Ms. Lokko to hand over the keys to the GBC security but her Lawyers appealed against that order.
He said later in November Ms Lokko''''s Lawyers made a verbal application to withdraw their appeal and sought for an order to allow the Bailiff to take inventory of items in the office in her presence before she could hand over the keys.
Mr Anokye said consequent to their withdrawal and application for inventory to be taken, the Court, presided over by Mr Justice Dzakpasu, on November 6, 2006 passed judgement accordingly and the High Court Registrar issued the effective order on January 8, 2007 to be carried out on January 11, 2007 at 11:00 hours.
"We served Ms. Lokko''''s Lawyers with a notice of the order on the same day, January 8, 2007 and there are records to show that they have been duly served," he said.
Meanwhile, Ms. Lokko is still in court with GBC Union, led my Mr Lewis Darko, Union Chairman, accusing them of defamation of character and libel.
The National Media Commission (NMC) ordered Ms. Lokko to proceed on leave pending investigations into some issues at GBC. She filed a suit against NMC as first respondent and GBC as second respondent, seeking the courts to restrain them from interfering with her work.
Source:
GNA
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