Popeler gave $180,000 to 31st Dec. Movement

A PROSECUTION witness in the Ghana Rubber Estate Limited (GREL) divestiture case, Madam Georgina Okaiteye, told the Fast Track High Court in Accra yesterday that Mr Marie Arthur Popeler, an official of Societe Industrielle Plantation Herea (SIPH), the major shareholder in GREL, gave the 31st December Women’s Movement (DWM) $180,000 cash.

She also told the court that Hanni Sherry Ayittey, a former treasurer of the DWM and former Managing Director of GIHOC Distileries, received the money on behalf of the movement.

The witness, who is a former member of the DWM, told the court, presided over by Mr Justice J. C. Amonoo-Monney, an Appeal Court judge sitting as an additional High Court judge, that the $180,000 was meant to support the activities of women and the nurseries of the DWM.

She said SIPH also gave her and Irene El-Mahmoud, a sister of Dr Albert Owusu Banafo, a consultant of SIPH, ?35 million cash each. She further told the court that SIPH sponsored a trip to Paris for Sherry, herself and Dr Banafo in May, 1996 to enable them to ascertain the credibility and the strong financial base of SIPH.

Sherry and three others are being tried on various charges of corruption in connection with the divestiture of GREL. The other accused persons are Messrs Emmanuel Amuzu Agbodo, former Executive Secretary of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC), Ralph Casely-Hayford, a businessman, and Mrs Satire Dorcas Ocran, a housewife.

They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges and have each been granted self-recognisance bail. Madam Okaiteye, who spoke in Ga, in her evidence-in- chief, disclosed that no receipt was issued for the money which was given after a 30 minute meeting between Sherry, Popeler and Dr Banafo.

Led in evidence by Mr Osafo Sampong, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), she explained that the money was given to Sherry between 3p.m. and 4p.m. in August 1998. She further explained that she and Dr Banafo witnessed the payment at Sherry’s office at GIHOC Distilleries.

She said the money was paid after SIPH had won the bid to take over the management of GREL. According to her, the movement later wrote a letter of appreciation to SIPH for its kind gesture.

Throwing more light on their trip to Paris, Madam Okaiteye claimed that a meeting was held between some officials of SIPH, Sherry and Dr Banafo on the day of arrival on how Sherry could help them to win their bid to run GREL.

She said Sherry later told her how impressed she was with SIPH’s establishments and investments.

According to her, Sherry expressed the hope that the company will work for the benefit of Ghanaians should it win the bid to run GREL.

Asked why she introduced Sherry to Dr Banafo and the others, she said she knew Sherry was the only person who could help them to win the bid since she was a board member of (DIC) at the time.

She told the court that she owned a construction company called Gena Lawrence Construction Works and GREL used to give her contracts to construct feeder roads as well as clear the rubber plantation.

According to her, Popeler signed about four cheques to the tune of ?800 million and she gave them to her fieldsman, whose name she only gave as Kena to clear in Accra. She said the cheques were cleared and paid into her account, which she later re-issued for Dr Banafo.

Madam Okaiteye further told the court that she and Dr Banafo visited Sherry at her residence to show appreciation on behalf of SIPH.

She said Dr Banafo had in his possession a jute bag which he claimed contained money and later held a private meeting with Sherry while she (Okaiteye) waited outside. She said Dr Banafo returned without the jute bag. She however, could, not disclose the amount contained in the bag.

The case was adjourned to Tuesday, March 4, 2003.