$100k Expats Saga: Trade Minister did no wrong – Government

The Presidency has cleared the Minister for Trade and Industry Alan Kyerematen of any wrong doing in connection with the controversial 100, 000 dollars charged expats before a recent awards ceremony.

A statement by the Minister for Information Mustapha Hamid stated that the Trade Minister did nothing wrong.

“Following public debate on the alleged extortion of money from the expatriate business community for a seat at a “Presidential Table” at the Ghana Expatriates Business Awards (GEBA), the President, in a letter dated 20th December, 2017 and issued through the Chief of Staff, asked the Minister for Trade to answer to that concern.

“The Minister for Trade has since responded to the President’s query. The facts, as reported to the President, do not disclose any wrong doing on the part of the Minister or any government official,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the President has asked the Minister to put those facts before the Ghanaian people.

At a recent awards ceremony to award expatriates in Ghana, some expats were asked to pay as much as 100, 000 dollars to sit with the President on the same table.

After several denials by the Trade and Industry Ministry and demands for the monies to be refunded to the expatriates by the Minority in parliament, the chairman of the Millennium Excellence Foundation – organisers of the event – Victor Gbeho confirmed that expatriate businesses were charged monies to sit close to the president.

He, however, added that it was meant for fundraising.

News of the charges has sparked public outrage with some Ghanaians including Prof. Gyampo calling for full scale probe into the development.