Henry Odartey Lamptey, a Law Clerk at a law firm in Accra, has been brought before a Circuit Court in Accra on charges of allegedly forging the signature of the Deputy Judicial Secretary and other High Court orders.
He has been granted bail for 500,000 cedis, with two sureties required to justify the bail.
The Court has additionally mandated that one of the sureties must be a public servant earning at least 3,000 cedis per month. The payslip provided by this surety must be endorsed by the Head of the Department.
Henry Odartey Lamptey has pleaded not guilty to eight counts of forgery related to judicial or official documents. Prosecutor ASP Kofi Anane reported that in June of this year, the Police received a petition from the Judicial Secretary of Ghana regarding Lamptey and his accomplices—who are currently at large—allegedly involved in forging marriage and divorce certificates, court orders, and other official documents.
ASP Anane explained that following the petition, the Police conducted surveillance. On August 13 of this year, Seidu Adams, another individual being tried in a separate case, was arrested after forging a letter dated November 22, 2023, which bore the Judicial Service seal and was falsely purported to be signed by the Deputy Judicial Secretary.
Upon his arrest, a search of his bag uncovered several documents, including court orders allegedly signed by Justice Patrick and Justice Mariam Sammo of the High Court, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, letters supposedly signed by the Judicial Secretary, and correspondence purportedly from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly marriage department.
Seidu Adams is said to have implicated Henry Odartey Lamptey as his accomplice. Odartey Lamptey was arrested on Thursday, August 29. The prosecution reports that during questioning, Odartey Lamptey allegedly confessed to the crime and revealed that he charged 300 cedis for the forged AMA letters.
The accused is reported to have guided the police to his office and home, where they recovered divorce certificates from Berekum and Madina District Courts, as well as marriage certificates, customary marriage documents, and divorce forms. He is scheduled to appear in court again on October 7.
