JUDGMENT OF AMISSAH J.A.
The accused was a Regional Commissioner for a number of years in the ousted regime. In July 1965 he was posted from the Central Region to the Eastern Region where he remained [p.609] until the change of government in February 1966. Evidence was led before the commission of inquiry into irregularities and malpractices into the grant of import licences (popularly known as the Ollennu Commission) that after the accused had got to Koforidua, one Hushie a food contractor who used to supply food to the hospitals and the prisons in the region sought and obtained an introduction through one Blankson to the accused. Blankson was a civil servant attached to the Eastern Regional Administration as private secretary. Hushie wanted the introduction to protect his interests in the food contracting business, because it was the Regional Commissioner who was responsible for the award of the contracts. People had been complaining that he, Hushie, was not a member of the Convention Peoples Party, and he thought that if he did not get to know the accused, this might harm his business.
Hushie was not at the time of his meeting with the accused interested in the importation of goods nor did he know anything about that trade. But some time afterwards he was told by Blankson that the accused had promised to help him, that is Hushie, to obtain an import licence to import goods. Hushie was further told that he should take steps to register as an importer. He did so reluctantly because he did not want to incur the displeasure of the accused. Blankson later told him that he should pay £G6,00 as commission on the licence to be granted. Hushie therefore went along with Blankson and paid that amount to the accused. According to Hushie, he originally tendered the money direct to Hagan but upon the accused's advice he handed it over to Blankson who first checked it before giving it to the accused. Later on Hushie paid £G1,000 upon demand and through the same process to the accused. On this latter occasion, the accused asked Hushie to meet him the next morning at a point on the Koforidua—Accra road, so that the accused might take him to Accra to see Kwesi Armah, the Minister responsible for Trade, who was to issue the import licence. Hushie met the accused as directed and was taken to Kwesi Armah at his house in Accra and there he was introduced to the Minister. A few days later Hushie got licences by post, worth £G4,000. Thereafter he paid a further sum of £G10
