A Journalist and Managing Editor of The Herald newspaper, Larry Dogbey, has reportedly been convicted and sentenced to jail by an Accra High Court over publication on Kevin Okyere.
According to Larry Dogbey, he was convicted and sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment in a case involving the CEO of Springfield Exploration and Production Limited (SEP), Kevin Okyere and multinational company Petraco SA.
In a post shared on Facebook, Larry Dogbey wrote, “Justice Isaac Addo of an Accra High Court has just convicted me and sentenced me to seven days’ imprisonment in the case involving Kevin Okyere and Petraco SA”.
He further disclosed that the Herald newspaper only reported on a petition filed by the multinational company.
He argued that the conviction was unjust, highlighting that he was only performing his professional responsibilities as a member of the media.
“The Herald newspaper reported only on a petition filed by the multinational company with CID, EOCO, GIPC, Attorney-General, etc. Ghana deserves better. Journalism is not a crime”, he added.
Meanwhile, Kevin Okyere, has testified in a Ghanaian court that he was detained in Dubai.
Reports suggest Kevin Okyere admitted that the Springfield entity drew down $50 million from a $100 million Petraco financing facility.
According to reports, Kevin Okyere’s admissions represent a pivotal moment in the long-running legal dispute, shifting focus to substantive issues of the transactions rather than just jurisdiction or procedure.
The news update shared by CDR Africa read, “Springfield Energy founder Kevin Okyere has told a Ghanaian court that he was once detained in Dubai and that a Springfield company received $50 million through a financing arrangement linked to Petraco.
The testimony is a major development in the ongoing legal dispute over the company’s finances, as the court examines the details of the transactions and related claims”.
It will be recalled that Kevin Okyere was earlier released on a US$20 million bail in Dubai, but was, however, restricted from leaving the emirate.
This follows a US$94 million fraud case filed by Switzerland-based Petraco Oil Company SA against Okyere.
Mr Okyere’s bail in Dubai is the latest development in a protracted international legal dispute involving high-value petroleum transactions, cross-border arbitration, and allegations of large-scale fraud.
His arrest came despite previous petitions by Petraco Oil Company to Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) and the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
According to the information gathered, the Swiss company, frustrated by the lack of response in Ghana, pursued legal action in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.
It has been claimed that the Office of the Attorney General stalled the case because it was seen as a civil issue that does not require state intervention.
Another claim highlighted that the Mahama government was working to help Springfield, “whose desperate unitization prospect with the Italian oil giant, ENI, didn’t see the light of day, either to sell the block, Afina, to the state or to have it appraised for takeover by another company.
The unitization between Springfield’s Afina discovery and ENI’s Sankofa field in Ghana was a years-long dispute that resulted in a government directive from the Akufo-Addo administration to combine the fields for more efficient development”.
Mr Okyere’s arrest was in connection with what is described as a “systematic and orchestrated economic crime” involving nearly US$93 million allegedly perpetrated by Springfield Exploration & Production Limited and GMP Energy Limited, both Ghanaian oil companies, along with their senior executives.
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@ghnow_ The family has confirmed that the funeral of the late Apostle Kwadwo Sarfo will proceed as scheduled on 30th July, with no changes to the arrangements announced. #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
