<<Print>>

A former director ofManagement Development & Productivity Institute (MDPI), Dr. Shaibu Ahmed Gariba, has told the Financial Division of the High Court hearing the case involving the former national coordinator of the Ghana National Youth Employment Programme now GYEEDA, Abuga Pele, and chief executive officer of Goodwill International Ghana (GIG), Philip Assibit, that he signed a document without thoroughly reading through. He, however, added that he would have declined signing it if he had paused for a second thought. Dr. Gariba retreated on his earlier stance denying signing the said letter when he was shown a copy he appended his signature to, pointing to the fact that, he okayed the first accused, Assibit�s papers claiming that he had pre-financed some work to the tune of GH�862, 153.64. After admitting that the signature on the document was his under cross examination, he told the court that he signed it without doing any background checks to determine the veracity of the papers. Dr. Gariba was testifying as the fifth prosecution witness in the case in which the former national coordinator of Ghana National Youth Employment Programme Abuga Pele and CEO of GIG Assibit are facing 19 counts of defrauding the state. The witness told the court in his examination in chief that, he did not sign the said alleged document that the first accused used in cashing the money despite the amount being payable to MDPI and GIG. He said, though the signature on the said letter was his, he needed to see the original document to be sure, but counsel of the first accused, Raymond Bagnabu, said they could not trace the original letter because they were forced out of their office. The witness, however, told the court that upon a second thought, he would not have signed such a letter, but when counsel suggested to him whether it was an afterthought, he responded in the negative saying, �It was not an afterthought.� Evidence in chief Led in his evidence in chief by a Principal State Attorney, Marina Appiah Opare, Dr. Gariba who said he was a labour specialist with the ministry of finance and had PhD in sociology, MA & BA in Economics narrated to the court the work of MDPI and its areas of operations, as well as how they engage their agencies. Asked to tell the court when he became the director of MDPI, he said he assumed the post after he arrived from Canada in September 11, 2010 and met with one James Creppy the CEO of MDPI at Labadi whereupon Assibit was introduced to him. According to him, when he became the director, he realized that an MoU had been signed between his predecessor and the first accused represented by Goodwill Solutions Associate Limited where they were to assist in raising funds and share the profit at the end. He told the court about a contract between MDPI and GIG, but services in the contract were never rendered, adding that an attempt made to also provide computer training for the youth never materialized because GIG failed to bring computers for the training so it failed. Dr. Gariba told the court presided over by Afia Seribuor Asare Botwe that he had several interactions with the first accused and got to know that he was assessing some $65m project for NYEP and �I was interested and I agreed with him, but the MoU was too wide with Goodwill Solution Associate.� On that basis, he said, another contract was signed with GIG, with Mr. Assibit in charge, and while MDPI was to provide exit strategies, GIG was to look for funding. He later told the court that MDPI and NYEP had no relationship and had rendered no service to NYEP but was surprised when he was summoned about an invoice to NYEP to the effect that a cheque of GH�826, 153.64 was brought by the first accused in the name of MDPI and GIG for pre-financing of work and, �we said we were not part of it, which Mr. Assibit took away and cashed it.� He also told the court that he was surprised when he was shown a letter of MDPI signed by Mr. Assibit and �I said it was unusual.� Hearing continues today.