A lawyer and four others have been arraigned before the Achimota Circuit Court for allegedly falsifying a will.
Joseph Kwow Addo Sam, a 57-year-old lawyer, and Alhaji Seidu Adam Baba, an 82-year-old chief, along with Abdullai Salia (also known as Abdullai Salia Junior), Abubakar Salia, and Saeed Salia—who are all currently at large—face charges of conspiracy.
Sam and Baba are also charged with forgery of official documents and altering forged documents, while Sam, Salia, Abubakar, and Saeed face an additional charge of perjury.
The court, led by Mrs. Akosua Abokyewaa Adjepong, granted bail to Sam in the amount of GHC200,000 with three sureties, one of whom must be a public servant earning at least GHC3,000 and reside within the jurisdiction.
Sam is also required to report to the police every two weeks on Tuesdays.
Baba, who has pleaded not guilty, was previously granted bail of GHC150,000. Saeed Salia’s plea was deferred due to his recent arrest.
Sam, represented by Bernard Koranteng Obiri, requested bail, citing his status as a family man with a fixed address and a law practice.
The prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Isaac Babayi, did not oppose the bail and indicated that the facts of the case would be amended.
The court was informed that Alhaji Seidu Adam Baba is the Banda Chief in Accra, and the other accused, except for Sam, are siblings.
The complainant, Idris Salia, a businessman, discovered that the will supposedly from his late father, Alhaji Salia Abdullai, was forged.
This will, claimed to have been deposited at the High Court’s Probate Division on May 7, 2004, had signatures that were later proven to be fraudulent.
The complainant reported the matter to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), and further investigations revealed that the signatures on the will and probate forms did not match those of the named individuals.
Sam allegedly conspired with the other accused to create the forged will, with Baba acting as a witness.
On November 8, 2021, the three siblings applied to the High Court for probate based on the forged will.
The police were alerted, and Sam admitted to preparing and depositing the forged will. Abubakar and Saeed Salia, both currently at large, also signed the fraudulent probate forms.
