Company established relationship to defraud government - Witness
Four illegal timber dealers fined 12 million cedis
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 October 2001-Ghana's Ambassador to the United States warned the government that the Quality Grain Company intended to defraud it, a letter tendered at the Fast Track Court on Tuesday by the Deputy Director (Investigations) of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Mr Theophilus Cudjoe indicated.
Mr Koby Koomson, then Ghana's Ambassador to the United States, stated: "It was quite clear that Quality Grain Company and Ms Cotton completely misrepresented the extent of their knowledge about rice production to officials in Ghana. They obviously established a unique working relationship with some officials in her attempt to defraud the Government of Ghana."
Mr Cudjoe, who completed his evidence-in-chief, in a case in which six persons including two former Ministers of State are being tried in the Quality Grain case, said Mr Koomson submitted the report to former President Jerry John Rawlings on September 15, 1998.
He said the report followed Ms Woodard's intention to establish a rice project in Ghana when the ex-President visited the US in 1995.
Witness said the report indicated that Ms Woodard employed a rice grower with 18 years experience to manage the project but the expert resigned because he did not find it to be viable.
Mr Cudjoe said the report indicated that the Embassy should have been consulted to do a thorough check on the background of the company before the government guaranteed loans for the project.
The accused persons are Ibrahim Adam, former Minister of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Kwame Peprah, former Finance Minister, Dr Samuel Dapaah, Dr George Yankey, Nana Ato Dadzie and Kwesi Ahwoi, all former senior public officers.
They have all pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy and wilfully causing financial loss to the state. Each of them is on a self-recognisance bail.
Mr Cudjoe said the report was circulated to members at a meeting held on January 12, 1999 at the Castle and which he and the accused persons attended.
Witness said the meeting was called when Ms Woodard asked for a loan of five million dollars from the government in addition to 19 million dollars she had obtained.
He said before the meeting commenced, tempers flared as there were accusations and counter-accusations among some of the accused persons as to why loans were granted for the project that seemed to have shut-down at that time.
Mr Cudjoe said the general consensus after the meeting was that she did not deserve the additional loan.
Witness said he suggested that the woman be arrested because his investigations showed that she had not accounted for the earlier loans granted to her and that he suspected her to be a fraud.
Witness said his suggestion was objected to because that would have incurred the displeasure of the US government against Ghana.
Mr Cudjoe, the prosecution's star witness, will be cross-examined on Wednesday, October 17.
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Winneba (Central Region) 17 October 2001-Four illegal timber dealers were on Tuesday fined a total of 12 million cedis by a Winneba Community Tribunal presided over by Mr Justice Emmanuel Wilson.
Kofi Agyenim, Kwasi Gyamfi, John Samani and Kwaku Afful all pleaded guilty and were fine three million cedis each. They will serve 12 months imprisonment in hard labour each, if they fail to pay the fine.
Mr Justice Wilson ordered that the 440 pieces of beams seized from the accused persons should be confiscated to the state, while four cargo trucks used in conveying the beams should be handed over to their owners.
Mr Justice Wilson said he took a serious view of the case because the illegal activities of such persons deplete the country's forests.
He warned that in future offenders brought before him would receive stiffer punishment.
Police Chief Inspector Wisdom E. Domie told the Tribunal that the four were intercepted at the Apam Junction on September 29, this year by members of the Winneba District Forestry Service Monitoring Team.
Chief Inspector Domie said a search revealed that each of the four trucks was carrying 110 beams.
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