I was picked from prison for cocoa industry - Gyamfi

Dr Kwame Gyamfi, former Chief Executive of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), on Tuesday said he was picked from prison to the Office Dr Kwesi Botchwey, former Secretary for Finance and Economic Planning to join Dr Joe Abbey, an economist, to prepare a document for the rehabilitation of the cocoa industry in 1983.

Dr Gyamfi said he was then on interdiction without even his half salary, and he felt mentally raped after that exercise.

Testifying before the National Reconciliation Commission, Dr Gyamfi said soldiers picked him when he was in deep discussion in the COCOBOD Boardroom, with Mr P. V. Obeng, then PNDC Coordinating Secretary and other top officials of the COCOBOD on August 22 1983.

The Witness said he was dumped into the James Fort Prison, and later brought before the National Investigations Committee (NIC) for doing an act with the intent to sabotage the economy of Ghana.

He said the allegation stemmed from alleged wrong importation of spraying machines and chemicals, which the Government thought was inappropriate. He said on one occasion during the investigation, he was queried together with former President Hilla Limann, Nana Okutwer Bekoe, former Chairman of the People's National Party, and Naa Professor Nabila, a Lecturer of at University of Ghana.

He said the proceeding was secretly filmed and later shown on the Ghana national television network.

The Witness said he spent more than five months in detention, during which Dr Botchwey sent a letter interdicting him to his wife, who upon the receipt of the letter had a shock from which she had still not recovered. He said Dr Botchwey signed the letter, which was from the PNDC Coordinating Secretary, instead of Mr P. V. Obeng.

Dr Opoku said he was later granted a million-cedi-bail on January 24 1984 but continued to report till July of that year.

He said he petitioned the then Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), Flt Lt Jerry Rawlings to no avail.

The Witness said he was still technically on interdiction and on bail. He prayed the Commission to invite Mr Kwamena Ahwoi, who initiated the investigation, to complete it for him (Dr Gyamfi) to be charged by the Attorney General's Department.

Dr Gyamfi said if there were no charge against him, his name should be cleared of the allegations of doing act to sabotage the economy, because the alleged acts were later found to have rather helped the cocoa industry.