$3.5m drillship balance wasn't used to pay salaries - Kpodo

Ghana's former acting High Commissioner to Britain, Chris Kpodo, has told the Judgment Debt Commission that he has no knowledge of how 3.5 million dollars from the sale of the GNPC's Drill Ship in 2001 was disbursed.

Former Energy Minister Kan Dapaah and his deputy, K T Hammond told the Commission when they appeared before it that the 3.5 million dollars balance of the US$24 million transaction, was deposited into an account of the Government of Ghana at the Ghana International Bank in London on the orders of Kpodo.

Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako had hinted that part of the missing US$3.5 million, may have been used to pay salaries of staff of Ghana's mission in London.

Baako claimed that he had "seen three dubious" withdrawals that suggest part of the money was used for that "weird" purpose.

Chris Kpodo on Wednesday, however, told the sole commissioner that he has no knowledge of that.

According to him, during his tenure as acting high commissioner for Ghana in the UK, no withdrawals were made from that account to pay salaries.

He also said he only witnessed the signature of the former Deputy Energy Minister KT Hammond during the sale of the drill ship and was not privy to the sale agreements.