The concept paper by Assibit was rejected - witness

A witness in the GYEEDA case has revealed that, the concept paper written by Mr Philip Akpeena Assibit and presented to the World Bank on behalf of GYEEDA was rejected.

Mrs Diana Adu Anane, the Deputy Staff Officer with the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), told an Accra Fast Track High Court that a check at the Bank indicated that he (Assibit) was re-directed to a World Bank desk at the Ministry of Finance.

In a further cross-examination by Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, Counsel for Assibit, the witness said through their investigations it came out that the world Bank never appointed the accused person to be their consultant.

Mr Abuga Pele, the former National Co-ordinator of GYEEDA and Mr Assibit, a representative of Goodwill International Group (GIG), are facing various charges of causing financial loss of 41.1 million Ghana cedis to the state.

Answering questions on the difference between the Serbian and the Ghanaian documents, Mrs Adu Anane explained that in an attempt to copy from the Serbian document, the accused person maintained the “Ministry of Economy” in the Ghanaian document.

She said this was because in Ghana, there was no ministry named “Ministry of Economy” but the accused person maintained that in the Ghanaian document, which clearly showed he copied.

She said in a letter written by the accused person (Assibit) to GYEEDA, he requested for four claims, including recruiting 250 youth and giving them orientation, securing a $ 65 million World Bank facility for GYEEDA and conducting tracer studies.

The Deputy Staff Officer said through investigations it was revealed that all the claims were false.

She explained further that, investigations revealed that, in accessing the World Bank facility, there were four stages to be met and Ghana was still at the first stage, which was the preparatory stage.

When asked by the defence counsel whether witness would doubt the President, John Dramani Mahama, who told a meeting that the country has secured the World Bank facility, she said yes and explained that “investigations revealed that Ghana has not accessed the facility yet.”

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

Mr Pele is also alleged to have entered into a contract with Assibit to engage in activities which have injured the state financially.

They have both pleaded not guilty to all charges and are on bail.

The case has since been adjourned to Thursday, April 16.