This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS ACCRA 002141
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS FOR CA/OCS/ACS/AF
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CA EAGR ECON ETRD
SUBJECT: AMCIT DIRECTOR OF AMERICAN INVESTOR IN GHANA
COTTON COMPANY IS SAFE
REF: SECSTATE 222220
1. (SBU) Amcit Rasheed Nouri, country director for GhanAmer
Farms (reftel), which is the majority owner of the Ghana
Cotton Company (GCC), is safe after being thrown out of the
company office by disgruntled employees. According to Mr.
Nouri, eleven employees of the Ghana Cotton Company
accompanied by a union representative entered his office in
Accra on the afternoon of October 27. The group read a
letter detailing employee complaints, told Mr. Nouri he had
until noon the following day to leave the country and then
threw Mr. Nouri out of the office and surrounding compound.
Mr. Nouri contacted USG officials in Washington who in turn
contacted Post's RSO. RSO made contact with Mr.Nouri in the
evening of the 27th and determined that he was not a hostage
nor in immediate physical danger, provided emergency contact
information and relayed this to Washington.
2. (SBU) EconOff spoke with Mr. Nouri on the morning of
October 28. Mr. Nouri stated that, contrary to initial
reports, he had not been a hostage at any time. DCM later
called President Kufuor's Chief of Staff Kwadwo Mpiani and
expressed Post's concern for Mr. Nouri's safety and hope that
the dispute between GhanAmer Farms, GCC employees and GCC's
former owner and primary debt holder, the parastatel
Agriculture Development Bank (ADB), could be resolved in a
peaceful and businesslike manner. The Chief of Staff
promised to speak directly with ADB's board of directors that
day.
3. (SBU) EconOffs also met with ADB CEO and board members to
express Post's concern. Subsequent follow-up with Mr. Nouri
on the evening of October 28 confirmed that the workers had
left and that the ADB board had met with him after hours in
order to revive the dialogue between the parties. EconOffs
will remain in close contact with Mr. Nouri, ADB officials
and the Chief of Staff's office to monitor negotiations.
YATES