COUNCIL for the Ghanaian deportee, Eric Agboso, who allegedly attempted to defraud a US congressman of 30,000 dollars, has filed a prohibition order at the High Court against the trial judge, Mrs Ivy Heward-Mills.
Andrew Obeng, the counsel, filed the prohibition motion on the grounds that, the judge had made prejudicial comments against him and therefore called for the transfer of the case from her court to another judge.
When the deportee, first appeared in court on Friday, the judge reprimanded Mr Obeng in open court for trying to pervert the cause of justice by trying to delay proceedings in calling for an adjournment.
The judge also queried Mr Obeng for not knowing the details of the case before jumping in to defend the accused person.
Agboso has pleaded not guilty to the charge and has been remanded in police custody.
As a result of the filing of the prohibition order, the case has been adjourned to July 31 to enable the motion to be moved at the High Court on July 28.
According to the prosecution, Agboso was in possession of the social security number of US congressman De Young and 62 other US top politicians and families.
On July 10, he attempted calling De Young, to ask him wire 30,000 dollars to him.
He threatened that if he failed to oblige, he would post De Young’s social security number on the internet for use by criminals.
Unknown to Agboso, his call mistakenly went to the office of the New York Police boss who responded as though he was De Young.
The police boss then informed congressman De Young, who alerted the US Secret Service.
The Secret Service agents communicated with Agboso as the congressman. Agboso directed that the amount be wired through a Barclays Bank branch in Accra.
The Secret Service agents flew down to Ghana on July 14, and arranged with the Manager of the bank to trap and arrest Agboso.
On July 15, the bank manager alerted the agents when Agboso attempted to withdraw the money and he was arrested.
The agents said in the US, social security numbers are jealously guarded because if it was posted on the internet, criminals could use them to commit identify frauds, thefts and fraudulent withdrawals of money.
The prosecutor, DSP P.K.K. Frimpong, earlier told the court that, Agboso had also attempted to escape from lawful custody last Thursday at the police Headquarters.
He said when the investigator’s attention was drawn to it, he mobilized people who chased and arrested him near the Golden Jubilee House.
Supt. Yaa Ntiwaah Danso, commanding officer of the Commercial Unit, also told the court that, Agboso was later taken to his house, and a search revealed incriminating evidence and items like laptop computers and e-mails.
Andrew Obeng, the counsel, filed the prohibition motion on the grounds that, the judge had made prejudicial comments against him and therefore called for the transfer of the case from her court to another judge.
When the deportee, first appeared in court on Friday, the judge reprimanded Mr Obeng in open court for trying to pervert the cause of justice by trying to delay proceedings in calling for an adjournment.
The judge also queried Mr Obeng for not knowing the details of the case before jumping in to defend the accused person.
Agboso has pleaded not guilty to the charge and has been remanded in police custody.
As a result of the filing of the prohibition order, the case has been adjourned to July 31 to enable the motion to be moved at the High Court on July 28.
According to the prosecution, Agboso was in possession of the social security number of US congressman De Young and 62 other US top politicians and families.
On July 10, he attempted calling De Young, to ask him wire 30,000 dollars to him.
He threatened that if he failed to oblige, he would post De Young’s social security number on the internet for use by criminals.
Unknown to Agboso, his call mistakenly went to the office of the New York Police boss who responded as though he was De Young.
The police boss then informed congressman De Young, who alerted the US Secret Service.
The Secret Service agents communicated with Agboso as the congressman. Agboso directed that the amount be wired through a Barclays Bank branch in Accra.
The Secret Service agents flew down to Ghana on July 14, and arranged with the Manager of the bank to trap and arrest Agboso.
On July 15, the bank manager alerted the agents when Agboso attempted to withdraw the money and he was arrested.
The agents said in the US, social security numbers are jealously guarded because if it was posted on the internet, criminals could use them to commit identify frauds, thefts and fraudulent withdrawals of money.
The prosecutor, DSP P.K.K. Frimpong, earlier told the court that, Agboso had also attempted to escape from lawful custody last Thursday at the police Headquarters.
He said when the investigator’s attention was drawn to it, he mobilized people who chased and arrested him near the Golden Jubilee House.
Supt. Yaa Ntiwaah Danso, commanding officer of the Commercial Unit, also told the court that, Agboso was later taken to his house, and a search revealed incriminating evidence and items like laptop computers and e-mails.
