Asibi insists that Deputy CID Director-General called and threatened her

Accra, July 28, GNA - Ms Grace Asibi, the woman at the centre of the controversial bribery case of Policemen in the East Legon cocaine affair, on Friday said she had personally not given any money to Mr Patrick Kwabena Ampewuah, Deputy Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department.

Ms Asibi, however, insisted that it was Mr Ampewuah, who called her on her mobile phone on March 31, 2006 giving her a 12-hour ultimatum to leave the country or risk death, because she had leaked information on the cocaine deal to the media.

Ms Asibi is the girlfriend of Gerardo Varquez, a Venezuelan drug baron from whose house in Accra 38 million dollars worth of cocaine was seized in November 2005.

Under cross-examination by Mr Ellis Owusu-Fordjour, counsel for Mr Ampewuah, at a public hearing at the Justice Georgina Woode committee, Ms Asibi said she was sure of the voice because she had interacted with him on two separate occasions and, therefore, knew the voice. "The first time was outside his office when he accosted me and asked if I was looking for Mr Tabiri and directed me to him. The second time was when Mr Tabiri took me to his office to tell him about how my life was being threatened because of my involvement in the case and the need for protection," she said.

Ms Asibi said she was very surprised when the call came and the person on the other side of the line started talking about money when she had not given Mr Ampewuah any money.

She said when the call came in and the line cut, it dawned on her to record the conversation since the person on the line might call again.

When asked by Mr Owusu-Fordjour, which kind of phone she used in receiving the call, she said it was a Nokia D55, which she put on speakerphone.

Mr Owusu-Fordjour at this point put it to her that it was the figment of her imagination that made her believe it was Mr Ampewuah, who had called her, but she insisted that she knew the voice and it was that of Mr Ampewuah.

Mr Owusu-Fordjour told her that the two numbers, 0242070621 and 0242070692, which she claimed were used by Mr Ampewuah to call her never belonged to Mr Ampewuah, but might belong to some gangsters, who might also be trailing her.

She insisted that the numbers belonged to Mr Ampewuah and he might have discarded the chip right after calling her.

"Some people can buy a chip and discard it after they have accomplished what they want to do with it and this might be the case with these numbers,=94 Ms Asibi said.

Mr Owusu-Fordjour told Ms Asibi that Mr Ampewuah was a Senior Police Officer, who could have arrested her or instructed his boys to do so without having to call her on phone numbers that were not his, only to threaten her.

Ms Asibi agreed but still insisted that the voice that called her on the said date was that of Mr Ampewuah.

Mr Owusu-Fordjour put it to her that when she was taken to Mr Ampewuah's office she did not spend more than five minutes and, therefore, could not take his voice in a distinct manner.

She denied this saying she spent a considerable amount of time with Mr Ampewuah because they discussed other matters including the release of keys to a shop at Osu, which she and her boyfriend, who is at large, were shareholders.

Mr Owusu-Fordjour then asked for the number of the phone she used in receiving the call.

Ms Asibi said she had given the number to a sister for her personal use and could, therefore, not remember the number off hand. At this juncture she called the sister, who also could not produce the number but asked for time to give it to her later. Mr Owusu-Fordjour reminded her that she had earlier told the Committee that she had lost that particular phone soon after the alleged call that threatened her life.

Ms Asibi admitted this fact but added that the she went for a new chip with that number and it was that new chip, which she had given to her sister.

Mr Owusu-Fordjour also reminded her that she had granted an interview to Radio Gold on the issue at stake and that what she was saying was in contrast with what was said in that interview, but she rejected the assertion.

The Commission promised to get the recording from Radio Gold to ascertain the truth in the matter.

The Chairman said depending on the evidence from the Radio Gold recording, if there was the need for the commission to go for a voice analyzer, it would do so. Sitting continues on Monday.