We didn't lobby for Company's divestiture

Madam Georgina Okaiteye, seventh prosecution witness in the Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) divestiture case on Thursday told an Accra Fast Track Court that she, Mrs Irene El-Mahmoud, and Dr Albert Owusu-Barnafo never lobbied for the company's divestiture in favour of Societe Industrielle Plantation Hevea (SIPH).

Giving evidence at the court under cross-examination, Madam Okaiteye, who is also a member of the 31st December Women's Movement (DWM) said after her friend, Mrs El-Mahmoud, had introduced Dr Owusu-Barnafo to her Mrs El-Mahmoud did not do any lobbying.

Witness said after Mrs El-Mahmoud had done the introduction, she Okaiteye and Dr Owusu-Barnafo took upon themselves the lobbying job on GREL. Four persons are being tried by the court for their alleged involvement in corrupt practices during GREL's privatisation.

They are, Hanny Sherry Ayittey, treausrer of the 31st December Women's Movement (DWM), Emmanuel Amuzu Agbodo, former executive secretary of the Divestiture Implementation Committee, Ralph Casely-Hayford, businessman, and Sati Dorcas Ocran, housewife.

All the four were alleged to have influenced the DIC board to divest GREL in favour of Societe Industrielle Plantation Hevea (SIPH), and they have denied their various charges.

The court, presided over by Justice J. C. Amonoo-Monney, Appeal Court Judge, with an additional responsibility on the case as a High Court Judge, has granted each of them a self-recognisance bail.

Madam Okaiteye continuing with her evidence under further cross-examination disagreed with a suggestion by David Lamptey, counsel for Ayittey, that after, Mrs El-Mahmoud had introduced Dr. Owusu-Barnafo to her, the three of them held meetings at the Osu residence of Mrs El-Mahmoud where matters pertaining to GREL's privatisation were discussed.

Witness told the court that after the introduction, the three of them rather held three meetings at Dr Owusu-Barnafo, a consultant to GREL's office and he briefed them on frantic efforts being made by his principals in France to win majority shares in the company.

Answering questions on monies that were withdrawn from GREL's coffers in connection with its divestiture programme, Madam Okaiteye disagreed with a suggestion by counsel that those monies were siphoned for the personal use of Etienne Popeler, former Managing Director of the company, Dr Owusu-Barnafo and herself.

She disagreed with a further suggestion by counsel that an amount of 800 million cedis taken from GREL's accounts did not eventually get into the hands of Popeler. Witness also disagreed with another suggestion that a greater part of the monies meant for the 31st DWM, and which passed through her personal accounts by way of cheques issued by Dr Owusu-Barnafo and back to him, never got to the Movement.

Witness said the portion of the money meant for the movement actually reached it, adding that it was not true that apart from the 800 million cedis, Dr Owusu-Barnafo endorsed, other cheques to be withdrawn from her personal accounts.

Asked why she had not refunded a 10,000-dollar-loan she took from Popeler, witness said that was because her contract with GREL had been terminated. The case was adjourned to Thursday, 27 March for continuation