I assisted to investigate theft at GREL-Witness

Accra, July 18, GNA - Detective Inspector Ernest Osae, the 10th prosecution witness in the Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) divestiture case on Friday told a Fast Track High Court in Accra that he assisted a team of policemen to investigate a stealing case at the company. Led in evidence by Mr Osafo Sampong, Director of Public Prosecutions, Inspector Osae said the three-member investigation team consisted of Assistant Superintendent of Police Ahmed Issah Yakubu, Detective Sergeant Amidu Imoro and himself.

The witness said he was given instructions to take statements from specific people including Emmanuel Amuzu Agbodo, former Executive Secretary of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC), who was one of the four accused persons on trial. The three others were Hanny Sherry Ayittey, treasurer of the 31st December Women's Movement, Ralph Casely-Hayford, a businessman and Sati

Dorcas Ocran, a housewife. They allegedly used their positions to influence the DIC board to divest GREL in favour of a French Company, Societe Industrielle Plantation Hevea. All of them have denied the charges, and the court has granted each of them a self-recognisance bail.

Inspector Osae told the court that on May 21, 2001 he took a voluntary statement from Agbodo. In answer of a question put to him during cross -examination by Mr J. E. Senoo, counsel for Agbodo, the investigator said his assignment at GREL had nothing to do with the company's privatisation process, but the theft case at the place.

Replying to another question by Mr Tony Lithur, counsel for Ocran, witness said in the course of his investigations, he did not at any time talk to Ayittey because his assignment did not include her. Inspector Osae told the court that one of the specific people he interrogated in connection with the case was Mr Kwame Asante Awuah, former Financial Controller of GREL, and first prosecution witness. The witness said he took three investigation caution statements from Mr Awuah on April 12, May 2 and June 21, 2001. Further hearing of the case has been fixed for Wednesday, July 23.