The Vice President earlier this week denied any link whatsoever to Armajaro.
(http://www.citifmonline.com/site/business/news/view/13755/3). The text
below rebuts his denial with evidence from very credible sources.
Kindly notify us of publication. Your cooperation and assistance in bringing
this information to Ghanaians will be very much appreciated.
The text:
How the Vice President betrayed cocoa farmers The events leading to how the official ban was overturned by the Vice
President.
*APRIL 7TH 2010*
**Undercover investigation by a journalist in Ghana identifies Armajaro (one
of the world’s largest cocoa commodity traders owned by Anthony Ward)
contractor as an alleged smuggling conspirator. The company faces a partial
trading ban.
Click here
of the undercover investigation.
*JULY 1ST 2010*
**Anthony Ward, chief executive of Armajaro Holdings and a Conservative
party donor, writes to Andrew Mitchell, international development secretary,
asking for help to overturn the ban.
His leaked letter reads:
‘*We would like to ask you to intervene on our behalf at presidential level
to request the ban lifted*‘
*JULY **6TH*
Mitchell phones Nicholas Westcott, the High Commissioner in Ghana, for
briefing on Armajaro.
Department for International Development (DFID) officials email Ward’s
letter to the Foreign Office. The leaked letter reads:
‘*It will be in your best interest to give this request your urgent
attention*‘
Civil Servants raise concerns about lobbing the Ghanaian vice president (see
why in later follow up release) at a London trade forum, as suggested by
Ward’s letter.
Concerned Foreign Office email reads:
‘*Should the UK company realise that they’ve broken the rules and have to
pay the price?*‘
*JULY 7TH 2010*
Henry Bellingham, the Foreign Office minister, dines with John Dramani
Mahama and lobbies him on Armajaro’s behalf.
Leaked Foreign Office memo reads:
‘*The vice president (John Mahama) has undertaken to look into it
immediately on his return*‘
*JULY 14TH 2010*
Foreign Office officials propose contacting Armajaro. Leaked memo reads:
‘*They might like to know what we’ve done on their behalf.*‘
*AUGUST 2010*
Westcott sends email to DFID disclosing that the Ghana Cocoa Board had drawn
up a draft decision to allow Armajaro to resume trading. Leaked Foreign
Office memo reads:
‘*I hope this will sort the matter.*‘
*SEPTEMBER 8TH 2010*
Trade ban on Armajaro in Ghana is lifted in all but one district.
*John **Dramani** **Mahama’s** gift for betraying cocoa farmers – read
the full Monty in the next follow up.*
GODWIN ADJEI-GYAMFI
