I witnessed two payments to 31st DWM - Okaiteye

Madam Georgina Okaiteye, member of the 31st December Women's Movement (DWM) told an Accra Fast Track Court (FTC) on Thursday that she was an eyewitness to two payments which Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) made to the Movement.

Testifying at the court under cross-examination, Madam Okaiteye told the court that she witnessed those two payments totalling 200,000 dollars made to the Movement through its Treasurer at her residence.

Hanny Sherry Ayittey, Treasurer of the Movement, is standing trial with three others at the FTC for their alleged involvement in bribery and corruption involving the privatisation of GREL.

The three are Emmanuel Amuzu Agbodo, former Executive Secretary of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC), Ralph Casely-Hayford, Businessman, and Sati Dorcas Ocran, Housewife.

The four are alleged to have played various roles to influence the DIC Board to enable Societe Industrielle Plantation Hevea (SIPH), a French company to acquire the majority shares in GREL.

They have denied their various charges, and are currently on bail in their own recognisance.

Continuing with her evidence under further cross-examination by Mr David Lamptey, counsel for Ayittey, Witness told the court that on two occasions she went to the residence of Ayittey in the company of Dr Albert Owusu-Barnafo, consultant of GREL, to deliver those monies.

Madam Okaiteye said on one occasion they gave $180,000 to Ayittey, and at another time, they handed over to her an amount of $20,000.

Answering questions on a trip to Paris by the three of them at the invitation of SIPH officials, witness told the court that Dr Owusu-Barnafo showed her three air tickets for the three of them.

Madam Okaitey disagreed with a suggestion by counsel that she did not see with her naked eyes a ticket for his client to accompany them to Paris.

"I was shown three tickets, and the three of us, (myself, Ayittey and Dr Owusu-Barnafo) were travelling."

Witness, however, said she made the trip together with Dr Owusu-Barnafo to London where they were joined later by Ayittey, for the three of them to continue the journey to Paris.

Madam Okaitey disagreed with a suggestion by counsel that her company, Gina Lawrence Construction Limited, was paid monies for work it never executed.

Witness told the court that invoices were prepared by GREL with her company's letterheads to enable monies to be withdrawn to honour a promise SIPH made to 31st DWM.

The case has been adjourned to Tuesday, March 18 for continuation.