Ayittey, three others, make second appearance in Court

Hearing of the bribery and corruption charges against Sherry Ayittey, Director of Finance and Projects of the 31st December Women's Movement (DWM) and three others at the Fast Track High Court (FTHC) did not come on when they made their second appearance on Thursday.

The other three are Sati Ocran, member of the 31st DWM, Emmanuel Amuzu Agbodo, former Chief Executive of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC) and Ralph Casely-Hayford, Engineer.

The case was mentioned but adjourned to Thursday, December 13. No reason was given. When the accused persons first appeared before the court on November 15, they all pleaded not guilty to various charges of bribery and corruption.

The presiding judge, Mr. Justice J.C. Amonoo-Monney, an Appeal Court Judge, sitting as an additional High Court Judge, granted each of them a self-recognisance bail. The prosecution told the court then that at a meeting with the former first lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings who is President of the 31st DWM, tasked Ayittey, also a former member of the DIC board, to negotiate for an amount of one million dollars from a French company that wanted to win the bid for the divestiture of the Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL).

Ayittey was also to negotiate for a further 15 per cent dividend of the company's shares for the movement if the deal went through. When it was finally paid to the movement, 70 million cedis out of the amount was given to Casely-Hayford to be given to Mr. Dan Abodakpi, then Minister of Trade and Industry. When it was detected that the DIC boss, Agbodo, was perceived to be proving difficult, he was given 15 million cedis to influence him.