General News of Thursday, 25 October 2001

Source: GNA

Ayittey's case adjourned to November 15

An Accra Circuit Tribunal on Wednesday adjourned to November 15 the case in which Sherry Ayittey, former Chief Executive of GIHOC Distilleries, is facing charges of corruption of public officer on Wednesday. This was because a panel member of the tribunal was absent, for which reason it could not sit.

Ayittey, a top official of the 31st December Women's Movement, is alleged to have corruptly accepted 820,000 dollars and 25 million cedis from Dr Albert Owusu Barnafo, Business Consultant of Ghana Rubber Estate Limited (GREL), as reward for influencing the divestiture of the company.

Ayittey, a former member of the Board of Directors of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC), has pleaded not guilty and has been granted a 500 million-cedi self-recognisance bail.

In the dock with her is Ralph Casely-Hayford, an engineer, charged with accepting bribe to influence a public officer. He has also pleaded not guilty and is on a 100 million-cedi self-recognisance bail.