Anas exposé: Accepting ‘shopping money’ constitutes criminal behaviour – GII to 'dismissed' Adu Boahen

Mary Awelana Addah, Programmes Manager, Ghana Integrity Initiative, GII, has indicated that it was wrong for Charles Adu Boahen, dismissed Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, to accept dollars for 'shopping' in the latest exposé by investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

Speaking on NewsFile programme, Saturday, November 19, she explained that the said gift which was packed into a rubber bag by the minister was inappropriate because, it was meant to facilitate a process.

“From the conversation, you realise that there is intent to facilitate a process. And there’s already greasing of palm to facilitate a process going forward, and for me, that clearly constitutes criminal behaviour," Madam Awelana Addah emphasised.

Charles Adu Boahen was exposed in the latest undercover investigative piece which was publicly premiered on November 14.

Anas in a post on his Facebook timeline hours before the showing of the 'Galamsey Economy' film noted that the minister made some shocking revelations to his team in a hotel in UAE, when they posed as possible investors to Ghana.

He said, Adu Boahen alleged the vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will require about USD200,000 as an appearance fee from an investor to get his backing and influence in establishing a business in Ghana.

He said, when his Tiger Eye PI team met with the Minister of State in charge of Finance in UAE, he spoke about Bawumia's financial demands before agreeing to assist any investor.

“You mean, like appearance fees and stuff? I mean he, himself (the Vice President), if you give him some (USD) 200,000 or something as a token, as thank you, appreciation, that’s fine. He’s not really, he’s not really (like) that. All he needs is to worry about his campaign money in 2020,” Charles Adu Boahen is quoted to have said.

But Dr. Bawumia in a statement on Monday, November 14, denied the accusations and called for an investigation into the allegations.

Censure Motion: Ofori-Atta was able to acquit himself with explanations – Franklin Cudjoe

Franklin Cudjoe, President, IMANI Africa, has stated that the embattled Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, was able to acquit himself with explanations when he appeared before the committee hearing the censure motion which was filed by the Minority in Parliament.

Speaking on Citi FM/TV‘s 'The Big Issue' programme, Saturday, November 19, Cudjoe indicated that the Ofori-Atta was able to clear himself off the allegations levelled against him.

“I think that somehow the Minister acquitted himself with the explanations he gave simply because of the nature of the accusations or the grounds that were made against him. Some of them were on policy, others were on issues around divergence that constituted deliberate breaking of the law.

“There were however a few explanations that were problematic, especially the ones that have to do with the cathedral. The grounds were a bit narrow, so it afforded him the opportunity to explain himself quite well, so he could have addressed them head-on,” Franklin Cudjoe explained.

Censure Motion

The minority moved a censure motion to get the Finance minister out of office on the following grounds

-Despicable conflict of interest ensuring that he directly benefits from Ghana’s economic woes as his companies receive commissions and other unethical contractual advantages, particularly from Ghana’s debt overhang.

-Unconstitutional withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund in blatant contravention of Article 178 of the 1992 -Constitution, supposedly for the construction of the President’s Cathedral:

-Illegal payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts, in flagrant violation of Article 176 of the 1992 Constitution:

-Deliberate and dishonest misreporting of economic data to Parliament 5. Fiscal recklessness leading to the crash of the Ghana Cedi which is currently the worst-performing currency in the world:

-Alarming incompetence and frightening ineptitude, resulting in the collapse of the Ghanaian economy and an excruciating cost of living crisis;

-Gross mismanagement of the Ghanaian economy which has occasioned untold and unprecedented hardship