GYEEDA trial adjourned to October

Philip Akpeena Assibit a representative of Goodwill International Group (GIG) on Monday told the Financial Division of the High Court that there was a trip to some Latin America to study some of the youth employment projects in that area.

Mr Assibit, who is one of the accused persons in the on-going trial in the Ghana Youth Employment, Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) said the trip sent public officers and other parties linked to the project implementation to see by way of understanding the type of projects being implemented in Chile and the Dominican Republic.

Mr Assibit continuing his evidence in chief said the idea to travel to Latin America was borne out of the World Bank’s request, after they gave their drafted proposal by the consultants of which he was one to the bank’s officials.

The court presided over by Mrs Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe adjourned the case to October 31st due to the legal break.

Mr Abuga Pele, the former National Co-ordinator of GYEEDA and Mr Assibit, a representative of (GIG), are facing various charges of causing financial loss of 4.1 million Ghana Cedis to the State.

Assibit is accused of putting in false claims that he had secured a 65-million-dollar World Bank funding for the creation of one million jobs for the youth, which led the government to part with the GH¢ 4.1 million.

He said initially, the World Bank proposed a trip to Kenya and South Africa but later decided on the Latin America trip.

The Accused person said the World Bank’s request came among other things that Latin America had a more youth employment flagship projects like the proposed one drafted by the consultants.

He said the trip embarked on was led by Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, the then Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and among other delegates were one Glady Ghartey, a witness in the case, Sam Pee Yarlley, a Lawyer with the Ministry of Labour and CEO of Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training.

On June 19, 2015 the Court ordered Philip and Pele to open their defence in respect of a GH¢4.1 million malfeasance case against them.

The order came after the Court had ruled that the State had established a prima facie case against the two, in respect of 19 counts of defrauding by false pretences, abetment of crime, dishonesty and intentionally misapplying public funds and wilfully causing financial loss to the State.