George Boateng, the man who wanted to contest President John Mahama for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential slot for the 2016 election and Hingford Debreh a lawyer who is representing him in his sanitation offense case at the Madina Magistrate Court are at each other's throat over money issues.
Mr. Boateng and eight others, were charged on three counts of non-compliance with notice, contrary to section 32 of The Towns Act caps 86, failure to construct an approved toilet facility, contrary to section five sub-section 1-3 of the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly Sanitation Bye-laws 2013 and refusing to provide a toilet facility on their premises, despite several warnings and advice.
But, Mr. Boateng, who was arrested on a bench warrant, pleaded not quilty and has been granted bail in the sum of GH5,000.00 with two sureties.
Speaking in separate interviews with The Daily Heritage, while Mr. Boateng believes he "has been duped," the lawyer also believes his client; Mr. Boateng has been harassing" him with phone calls.
Mr. Boateng told the Daily Heritage that after paying GH600.00 to the lawyer in the case, the lawyer has failed to issue him with a receipt of payment.
He also told the paper that, the office of Mr. Debrah, who has said he is no more going to defend the accused in the case, is not known and therefore efforts to reach him has proven futile.
According to Mr. Boateng, who is expected in Court on Wednesday, the attitude of the lawyer and the fact that he could not provide him with the receipt of other payments means he has been duped.
General Legal Council & Police
Mr. Boateng also told the paper that, he had reported the matter to the General Legal Council over the 'professional misconduct' of the lawyer and that he has been advised to report that matter to the police.
"That lawyer has duped me. He has collected my money and has failed to issue me with a receipt, He has blocked all my lines and when I call he doesn't pick my calls. I have reported him at the General Legal Council Bar Association and they told me to report him to the council. I was given a form to fill and they took his number but because he could not issue me with a receipt I could not provide his address," he told the paper.
Lawyer Debrah The lawyer, Mr. Debrah on his part told the paper that, the accused person failed to ask him for a receipt after paying him GH500.00 when he was dealing with his bail application. According to him, he was no longer representing Mr. Boateng in the case since he was unwilling to pay GH5,000.00 for the main trial and after making that known to him, the accused gave him GH100.00 and they parted company.
"I am not doing the case for him again. What happened was that he paid me GH500.00 for his bail condition application. He was then granted the bail in the sum of GH5,000.00 with two sureties.
Charge For Main Trail
Mr. Debrah told the paper that "I asked him to pay GH5,000.00 and he said he will pay GH500.00 and I said no, because if you look at our fee and the Ghana Bar Association fee, the minimum for a misdemeanor is GH15,000.00. Look at the difference, I told him I was not going to do the case for him again and that was why he gave me the GH100.00 for my T&T."
Receipt
According to the lawyer, Mr. Boateng did not ask for a receipt and wondered why the u-turn three weeks later, saying, "my brother if you have given money to somebody and want the receipt what are you supposed to do? After three weeks you are now coming to ask for your receipt. If he had asked me i would have provided him with a receipt."
Harassment
Lawyer Debrah told the paper that, the accused person has been harassing him with phone calls with different telephone lines and if that persists he will report him to the police. He told the paper that he is ready to hear from the General Legal Council as claimed by Mr. Boateng.
Confusion
Previously in court, there was disagreement between Mr. Boteng, and his lawyer. Whiles the accused person told his lawyer that it was his landlord who reported the case to the police, facts before the court indicated otherwise.
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