Gizelle Yajzi?s interview on JOYNEWS? Tuesday, 16 August 2005 midday edition. The transcripts are unedited.
Matilda Asante (Tilly): First of all, can you tell me, where are you?
Madam Yajzi: Who's talking?
Tilly: Well, you've called into our news on Joy FM so can you first tell me where you are? My name is Matilda Asante by the way.
Madam Yajzi: Ok, I'm in Europe exactly. I'm in London today.
Tilly: We are told that you are coming to Ghana on Thursday, is that the case?
Madam Yajzi: Oh yes, yes this is the case.
Tilly: When specifically are you coming, in the morning or at night?
Madam Yajzi: No, I'd be arriving, God willing at 7.55 pm on Thursday? (INTERRUPTION by Tilly)
Tilly: Sorry, are you traveling on a commercial airline or a private jet?
Madam Yajzi: Yes, until now I'm traveling?we are traveling on British Airways.
Tilly: Ok, you say 'we. You and who are the 'we'?
Madam Yajzi: With my children, I'm going to Ghana
Tilly: Which children?
Madam Yajzi: John and Philip Kufuor
Tilly: These are the twins you allegedly had with the President, is that correct?
Madam Yajzi: Yes, this is correct.
Tilly: So tell me specifically what is it that you are coming to do in Ghana?
Madam Yajzi: Oh...I? You didn't hear the news, until today you don't know what I'm going to do? I'm going to? (Interruption)
Tilly: We've heard a lot of things you want to do. We want to hear from you, yourself.
Madam Yajzi: Ok, can you refer to me by my name, please. I'd like to hear my name from time to time
Tilly: That's fair enough. Madam Yajzi, go on.
Madam Yajzi: Ok, yes? I? eeeh I'm going to Ghana, that I have in many opportunity...eeeh taking with me all the evidence and eeeh all the tapes and everything...Yes of course I'm not taking with me a suitcase to say it as they said because in these days the technology is more advanced for that. But I'm taking every evidence I have to show that eeeh the President eeeh, he's the one who, made the deal in the hotel and other issues also.
Tilly: Great. Right now you are saying that you've got evidence, do you have a document for instance that names President Kufuor as owner of the West Airport Hospitality Industry, I believe that's the name of the hotel?
Madam Yajzi: No, I don't have ... In the document it doesn't show that the President has signed but his son without any back eeeh ground of a business man, without even the money to eeeh show he is capable of buying the hotel is more visible as the President said. Five million dollars is worth small business for the President.
Tilly: (INTERRUPTION:) So?
Madam Yajzi: Also his daughter (one moment, let me finish please) and also his daughter has signed. In that case as I was with the President in private and public meetings eeeh we have eeeh the whole conversation talking how the deal should be made about the hotel.
Tilly: So do you have taped conversations of that the President or you saying that I'm buying this hotel on your behalf and he says yes or what?
Madam Yajzi: The whole conversation was along many opportunity that the President was telling me exactly how to deal, how to talk with the people, what to offer, what not to offer, discussing whether I've to raise the offer or not, telling his son what to do also in front of him in some of the tapes, eeeh things like that, you know there are lots of them. I'm a professional, I'm a lawyer and I know what I'm doing.
Tilly: Right, now tell me, is it just about you trying to establish that the President has been involved in an act of corruption or that you also want to divulge your personal relationship with him because if I recall correctly you denied before that you had bore the President twins and all of a sudden you tell us that you are traveling with your twins?
Madam Yajzi: I'm going to ask you. I'm traveling with my twins because eeeh of his conference to the press and I want to show the people that my children do not need President Kufuor but they are his sons and Ghanaians and eeeh also that I've never lied but eeeh I'm successful woman.
I don't really, I'm not after what other women can do but he is lying. I have been asked in many times, many issues and the CNTCI, I don't know, if you heard it, I opposed immediately everything because I've said three million dollars to be laughed and stolen for the country. You cannot remember that of course, I don't know. It wasn't so long time ago and we are talking here about three hundred million dollars here.
I'm going to show that every contract that has been signed has been over priced one hundred and fifty million percent since the President has the king power eeeh. I want to show you, I mean the whole country eeeh that they have said that I'm a liar and I'm a blackmailer. I'm not a liar and I've not been a blackmailer because I don't need to blackmail anybody. I'm a rich woman.
Tilly: So, this is all about trying to prove that the President is corrupt, is it?
Madam Yajzi: That ..eeeh when they are begging in the EA's and the wars they need money to make ..eeeh, that there are starving. That they are taking ..eeeh over price in the contract, the money is coming to Ghana, going to Africa and for other issue like buying hotel and eeeh industry and any other factory. It doesn't make sense to beg and go and ask for money for the people when the money is not getting to the people.
Tilly: Right, now let's return briefly to the bit about you and your children, who you described as John and Philip Kufuor, is that correct?
Madam Yajzi: The name is John and Philip Kufuor, yes.
Tilly: How old are these children?
Madam Yajzi: They are 2 years, 3 months old.
Tilly: And you say that these are the children that you bore the President?
Madam Yajzi: Yes, you have asked me that already and I said yes.
Tilly: Because you know that can be verified by a D.N.A test and all?
Madam Yajzi: Oh man, I'm sure. Thank you for your advice but I know that. I even have the D.N.A.
Tilly: So you could then probably prove to Ghanaians that they really are the President?s sons. Give us some evidence beyond saying that they are.
Madam Yajzi: Pardoned?
Tilly: I'm saying you are obviously aware ,very well educated, High profile woman, you would know that to ascertain the paternity of the children one need the proofs, that you need a D.N.A test, do you have that kind of evidence?
Madam Yajzi: Oh ma'm, I'm sure, yes thank you, I know that. Yes, yes (laughs) I ?. I'm going to request in Ghana also because I don't need anything, I don't even need nothing for my children because I live like a king eeeh I honor, I already honor my family, not like eeeh somebody else. Eeeh I'm going to request D.N.A eeeh in Ghana also.
Tilly: I'm going to ask you a very final question because when your name came up at the President's press conference, one of the things he said was that you were doing well for the government, negotiating on their behalf but the fall out came when then you requested for some commission over a 15 million contract that the government was seeking from Kuwait. If I understand that correctly eeeh. What do you know about that?
Madam Yajzi: I followed what ever the President has said but I know that he was lying ...eeeh. First of all, I never requested any commission because as a professional if I have the commission as you know we would make a contract because nobody would ask for the commission verbally, nobody and I would like to see where is the contract.
And as a professional I'm not going to work for a long time without a contract signed between the government and me because no body would start spending money and traveling from country to country that after that maybe they would tell them ?no we are not going to pay you?. We didn't sign any contract and I didn't request any money and the President says (Interruption)
Tilly: You didn't sign any contract, Madam Yajzi ?
Madam Yajzi: Please let me finish. No, no, let me finish
Tilly: Ok, make it snappy
Madam Yajzi: The President says ...hallo
Tilly: Yes go ahead, I'm listening
Madam Yajzi: The President said that the contract?.that 50 million for the NMC was signed at the time of the NDC, this is not correct. The NDC brought the first phase in ....eeeh.. their time, but what we are talking here is the second phase and that ...eeeh, in that ...eeeh project and I'm the one who made everything come because I went on February 2003 with the Minister of Finance to Kuwait, because I took him there and May 2003 this contract was signed exactly because of my work and I never requested any commission. The President with all my respect was lying.
Tilly: So how did you expect to be paid then, you are a professional. You tell me, you have been working with the government and there was no contract what so ever?
Madam Yajzi: No contract at all because I make ...eeeh contract when I never have any personal relationship with any anybody from any government where I work. In the case of Ghana, unfortunately I had a relationship with the President. For that relationship I didn't accept anything to be paid. (Interruption)
Tilly: So if I understand you correctly, you were working (Interruption)? you were working, if I get you correctly, you were working for the people of Ghana because you had a relationship with the President?
Madam Yajzi: It wasn't like that.
Tilly: Didn't you? You didn't just come to Ghana, you know, to enter into a relationship with the President. You started working before you claim you had the relationship? so there would have been some bases, some agreement as you know what you were expected to do and the re-numeration you were entitled to?
Madam Yajzi: I'm going to tell you mum, the first time I went to Ghana, I went for three days only ...eeeh. I arrived, I remember very well on British Airways on a night flight. Next day eeeh 9:00 I was meeting the President exactly. I didn't meet anybody, but the President and he requested? asked me to help him in irrigation project and in the hospital of Korle-Bu. I went in these three days to go and inspect the lagoon where he's going to do the irrigation project and also the hospital. (Interruption)
Tilly: And for all that you didn't ask him ?how much you are going to pay me for this job?.
Madam Yajzi: No, because when I met him the first time, as a professional you don't ask for money before knowing whether you do it or not. If you are a serious person and I am a serious person and the first day when I left Ghana, I left for Spain when I received a call, like in the same day, from the President telling me, asking me to return. He was in Malaysia.
