We Have No Bank Account In Austria - 31st Dec. Women's Movement

The 31st December Women’s Movement, DWM says it has no bank account in Austria as alleged by the former Managing Director of the Ghana Rubber Estates Limited, Etienne Marie Arthur Popelar. Etienne Popelar whose company is being investigated told the police that he paid a total of 150,000 pounds into the movement’s account in Vienna after which, he personnaly handed over the receipt covering the payment to the Director of Finance of the 31st DWM, Ms. Sherry Ayittey.

Following the revelation, government has announced plans to audit the movement’s assets.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Ms. Sherry Ayittey described as ridiculous claims that such an amount was paid to the movement. She explained that the movement, just like any other non-governmental organisation receives donations from local and international donors from time to time to support its activities.

These donations are in turn channelled into the movement’s income generating ventures. This, Ms. Ayittey said is evident in movement’s numerous projects including over 1,000 day care centres throughout the country.

The story also alleged that the 31st DWM was awarded a grant of $170,000 for the importation of fabrics but Ms. Ayittey explained that the movement formally applied to the Finance Ministry and since it met the requirements, the offer was extended to it.

She noted that a team of external auditors have since 1998 been working on a consolidated audit of the activities of the movement and the report will be forwarded to the appropraite quarters. The ‘Daily Graphic’ story did not state whether Mr. Propeler had indeed paid the money as a grant or not.

Meanwhile, the President of the movement, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings in a statement faxed to the Graphic said the accounts of the movement has not been audited because it was only in May or June this year, that she read in the newspapers that all Non-Governmenal Organisations (NGOs) should submit their audited accounts to the Department of Social Welfare.

On grants received from the Chinese government, Nana Konadu said she personally approached the Chinese President to help the movement build a vocational and technical institute to train young boys and girls to acquire employable skills. She wondered why 31st Decembr Women’s Movement is being singled out for audit when other NGO’s also benefited from the Chinese support.