The ignorant folks standing with Dr Mensa Otabil indeed have no knowledge or bearing on the duties of a director of a company, and one who even sits on the board as a chairman.
People are saying he is innocent until proven guilty. What guilt are we waiting for? The fact that under his watch, 610 million cedis given to the bank by the Bank of Ghana was ‘squandered’ means he is guilty.
This was brilliantly captured by Lord Hardwicke in a 1742 England case. In this case, a corporation was set up, with 50 directors, and the corporation’s aim was to give loans out to people who deserve it, and with security.
The CEO of this corporation and 5 out of the 50 directors defrauded the ‘company’ and gave out loans to people who did not deserve it, resulting in the debt of about 350,000 pounds.
The other directors claimed they were innocent and were not even in attendance at the meetings when these loans were given—that they did not take part in any of the activities that led to the debt.
Lord Hardwicke said: “To instance in non- attendance; if some persons are guilty of gross non-attendance and leave the management entirely to others, they are guilty by this means of the breaches of trust that are committed by others.”
Otabil as a director and chairman assumed a duty of care—what the heck did he do? Even if he did not participate and sat while the others did, he is guilty. Omitting to act, in law, amounts to an act, a lot of times.
So, however you look at it, the man deserves to be nailed to the wall and not be painted as a man of integrity.
–Chris-Vincent Agyapong