CHRAJ REPORT WILL BE BASELESS -- Truth Foundation

Palaver -- THE Truth Foundation, Ghana (TFG)has expressed its reservations on the kind and relevance of the report the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) intends issue, on its 'investigations' into the Hotel Kufuor Affair.

The skepticism, the TFG said, arises from the fact that the principal witness, Madam Gizel Yadzi who made allegations on President J. A. Kufuor's investment in the acquisition of the hotel, could not gain entry into the country to testify in the case.

In a statement issued in Accra by the Foundation, signed by Alhaji Bature Iddrisu, the Foundation cautioned the CHRAJ in issuing every report, without the appropriate consultations, with all parties, with knowledge about the matter.

The CHRAJ, some time ago, said it was carrying out preliminary investigations into reports that President Kufuor, hid behind his son, Chief Addo Kufuor, in the acquisition of the “hotel” and whether there was any impropriety in the act.

Bature In New Gizelle Trick

Daily Guide -- THE NATIONAL Democratic Congress (NDC), inspired Friends of the Truth (FOT), which got its nose badly bruised over its failure to bring down Gizelle Yazji, the Syrian woman who planted herself at the centre of the ?Hotel Kufuor? controversy, is gradually worming itself back into political relevance, with its call on the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), not to release its report on the investigations into the Hotel Kufuor saga.

FOT, which claims to be now known as the Truth Foundation Ghana (TFG), according to its Co-ordinator, Alhaji Bature Iddrisu, of Radio Gold?s Alhaji and Alhaji fame, the release of the CHRAJ preliminary report, was premature. Alhaji Bature, was said to have told an NDC Youth Forum meeting at Osu, recently that, he met former President Rawlings, several times, on how to bring down Ms Yazji to testify before CHRAJ.

He reportedly told the Youth Forum, a pro-Rawlings group that, it will be in the interest of the National Democratic Congress to bring down Yazji, but lamented that, certain people in NDC were frustrating his efforts. FOT said,?we would like to caution that, any report without appropriate consultation with all interested parties, would create the impression of a white-wash, and this matter could be a festering sore that would almost certainly rise again.

?It is our wish that, the findings in the report should be able to put this matter to rest.?

According to the pseudo non-governmental organisation, with its agenda deeply rooted in those of the main opposition NDC, there was no way CHRAJ can draw conclusions without the active collaboration of Ms Yazji.

?We are really at a loss as to what conclusions CHRAJ can arrive at. Our skepticism arises from the fact that, the initial, or preliminary investigations had to do with whether, or not the President was hiding behind his son, Chief Addo Kufuor, in the acquisition of the ?Hotel?, and whether there was any impropriety by the President?, said the Truth Foundation Ghana. The Bature-led group stated that, CHRAJ investigations can only be rated good if Ms Yazji had come to give evidence before the commission.

?From all available evidence, it is clear that, the ?principal witness?, who made the allegations about the President?s alleged involvement in the ?Hotel? acquisition, Madam Gizelle Yazji, never arrived to testify in this matter?, he stressed.

The Friends of the Truth had written to CHRAJ, informing it of FOT?s facilitating role in Ms Yazji?s testimony if she had arrived in the country. They went ahead to rent hotel accommodation for the woman and her twins and hired SUV vehicles to cater for her movement in Ghana, if she had arrived, even though they knew the woman won?t come.

According to FOT, it wrote to CHRAJ to facilitate, through the government of Ghana, a free passage for the Syrian woman, to enable her to present her evidence to the commission.

However, at the time when expectations were high that the issue of the hotel was about to be put to rest, once and for all, Ms Yazji pulled a fast one on FOT members, leaving them embarrassed and disappointed, when she failed to show up.

The Syrian woman, who was variously described as a con-woman and fraudster, and claimed to be arriving with her twins, purported to have been fathered by President Kufuor, later explained to her handlers that she was refused seats by the management of British Airways, after connecting to London, from her Florida-base in America.

Her earlier claim that her visa had been cancelled by Ghana Embassy in Washington, was debunked by the Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who said, nobody had withdrawn her visa.

However, Alhaji Bature who denied the group?s links with NDC, many times, revealed that FOT was carrying out NDC?s agenda to bring down the NPP Administration, by making it unpopular.

Addressing the NDC Youth Forum, at Kuku Hill, Osu, where Prof John Evans Atta Mills had his campaign office, Alhaji Bature remarked that, NDC would have been the major beneficiary of his efforts to bring down Ms Yazji. ?Do you know how much NDC would benefit if Madam Yazji had come to Ghana??, he is reported to have revealed.

Alhaji Bature indicated that, when he realised that, some elements in NDC were working against the coming of the woman, he went to former President Rawlings to lodge complaints.

When Daily Guide contacted Alhaji Bature, to comment on these reports, last week, all he said was, ?no comments.?