Star Witness To Appear Before Fast Track Court

The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr. Osafo Sampong on Wednesday said the former Managing Director of Ghana Rubber Estate Limited (GREL), Mr. Etienne Marie Arthur-Popeler is not the “Star Witness” in the trial of Ms Sherry Ayittey and three others.

He said Mr. Arthur-Popeler, a Belgian, is a vital witness and not the “Star Witness” as the State is yet to produce the Star Witness in the case before the Accra Fast Track Court (FTC). Mr. Sampong told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra that to tag a Prosecution Witness as the Star Witness means that his or her evidence is so crucial to a case that without him or her, the trial could not proceed.

Mr. Arthur-Popeler, who is a vital witness in a case at the FTC in which four persons are bring tried for their alleged involvement in bribery and corruption in connection with the divestiture of GREL failed to appear before FTC on July 29. The DPP said the failure of Mr. Arthur-Popeler to appear that has led to media speculations, was due to communication lapse. The case was adjourned to October 16 because the legal vacation begins in August. Mr. Sampong said the Vital Witness was not a criminal to warrant his arrest by INTERPOL, stressing that the State Prosecution would not cause the arrest of witness.

The DPP categorically denied media reports that Mr. Arthur-Popeler is gone for good and he explained that the Attorney General has his contact address. He said that in case the vital witness changed his contact address without notice, the State would use INTERPOL to locate him.

The four accused persons facing prosecution, are Hanny Sherry Ayittey, Director of Finance and Projects of the 31st December Women’s Movement, Emmanuel Amuzu Agbodo, former Chief Executive of the Divestiture Implementation Committee; Ralph Casely-Hayford, a businessman and Satirieh Dorcas Ocran, a housewife.

The four allegedly assisted Societe Industrielle Plantation Hevea (SIPH), a French company, to win the bid for GREL’s divestiture. All of them have pleaded not guilty to the charge and each of them is on a self-recognition bail. Mr. Jonny Quarshie-Idun, counsel for Ayittey, was to continue with the cross-examination of Mr. Arthur-Popeler, who is the former Managing Director of GREL at the last sitting of the FTC.