$133,000 investment in Dubai no big deal - Moses Asaga

Former Member of Parliament for Nabdam in the Upper East Region, Moses Asaga, has refuted claims that he acquired properties in Dubai through illicit means, citinewsroom.com reports.

According to him, given his extensive 30-year career, which includes significant roles at Ecobank, GNPC, and positions as Deputy Minister of Finance and Minister for Employment, he was in the position to legally acquire a property worth $133,000.

His comment comes in response to allegations that emerged from a report by the UK-based think tank, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which implicated several former officials from the Mahama administration, including Moses Asaga and Inusah Fuseini.

The OCCRP report, titled “How Dirty Money Finds a Home in Dubai Real Estate,” published on May 14, 2024, alleged that these individuals amassed real estate in Dubai worth millions of dollars during their time in office. The report also criticized Dubai’s financial secrecy, suggesting it has become a haven for questionable funds.

In response to these allegations, Asaga dismissed the claims, describing them as a political ploy.

He defended his ability to legally invest $133,000 in a property, given his extensive 30-year career, which includes significant roles at Ecobank, GNPC, and positions as Deputy Minister of Finance and Minister for Employment.

Moses Asaga questioned the focus on his investment, contrasting it with property prices in Ghana.

“I thought I had done something criminal and corrupt worth investigating. $133,000, shouldn’t I be able to own such an investment? What are the prices of Trasaco properties, $1 million to $5 million? Who are staying there? Is it not politicians and majority NPP functionaries? Has the OCCRP gone to put a story on them? This is a political machination,” citinewroom.com quoted the former lawmaker.

He further justified his investment by comparing it to the cost of new apartments in Ghana, where prices exceed $200,000.

“So, they think for my 30-year working life I should not have an investment of that paltry amount. Before politics, I worked with Ecobank, and GNPC and was Deputy Minister of Finance, Minister for Employment, and CEO of NPA. I could not afford an investment of $133,000 for a student one-bedroom apartment. What is the crime and corruption involved in this?”

“In Ghana, new apartments are being sold for $200,000 plus, and Trasaco is $1 million to $5 million. Who stays in them? Is it not bankers, CEOs of GNPC, COCOBOD, BOST, and politicians?” Asaga questioned.

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