Betty Mould Iddrisu In Tears

FORMER ATTORNEY-GENERAL and Minister of Justice, Betty Mould-Iddrisu, yesterday failed to prevent the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament from subjecting her to strict proof over matters relating to the €94 million judgment debt payment to Construction Pioneers (CP).

Mrs Mould-Iddrisu, virtually in tears, had nobody from the majority National Democratic Congress (NDC) to rescue her as the Majority side was nowhere to be found.

She was bombarded with questions in the grilling that took well over three hours.

Mrs Mould-Iddrisu was directed by the PAC Chairman, Albert Kan-Dapaah, to stay put at the hearings of the parliamentary committee or go to court to fight for her rights after she made attempts to scuttle the work of the committee.

For unknown reasons, members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) on the PAC boycotted yesterday’s proceedings.

Drama unfolded when she attempted to prevent a member of the committee, Isaac Asiamah, from taking part in yesterday’s proceedings over the contentious CP judgment debt saga.

She asked Asiamah to personally opt out of the sitting because, according to her, the Atwima-Mponua MP had made prejudicial comments against her.

“I take objection to some comments by Hon. Asiamah and I request that he recuses himself from today’s proceedings on grounds of prejudice,” she pleaded.

According to Mrs. Mould-Iddrisu, Mr Asiamah had already imputed fraud to her in the judgment debt controversy.

She had accused him of describing her actions in respect of the €94 million payment to CP as fraudulent.

But the Atwima-Mponua MP described the former Attorney-General’s allegations against him as false and complete misrepresentation of available evidence.

Waving the Parliamentary Hansard, Hon. Asiamah said he used the word “flawed” in describing a document relating to the CP judgment debt saga and not “fraud” as claimed by Betty and her lawyers.

Betty quoted Article 88 of the 1992 constitution regarding the protection of her rights, saying, “I insist that on the grounds of natural justice, until we write to the Speaker on the matter, I insist Hon. Asiamah recuses himself.”

Betty and her lead counsel, Nana Ato Dadzie, insisted they would not respond to any question from Hon. Asiamah even if he did not recuse himself.

The PAC Chairman declined the former Attorney-General’s request, pointing out he did not have the power to take out a member who expressed his opinion on a matter on the committee.

He indicated that such powers were vested in the Speaker of Parliament and therefore asked the witness to apply to the Speaker or go to the Supreme Court to fight for her rights.

“We do not deal with legal matters here. On this committee what appears of elegantly legalistic, might appear as legal sophistry to us,” Kan-Dapaah remarked.

Chris Ackumey, one of the counsel for Betty, was nearly dismissed from the conference room for the PAC after making some derogatory comments against Kan-Dapaah.

“You don’t sit there and talk to the Chairman like that,” Mr. Kan-Dapaah shot back and asked the Marshall of Parliament to send Mr Ackumey out.

But Mr. Ackumey was allowed to stay after he and Nana Ato Dadzie pleaded for forgiveness.

After some back-and-forth heated exchanges, Betty and Nana Ato Dadzie asked for a 10-minute break to enable them to sort themselves out but that request was overruled by Mr. Kan-Dapaah.

Eventually, Betty and her lawyers accepted questions from PAC members during which she was asked by Kan-Dapaah to clarify the fact that the Yamoransa-Assin-Praso road, Akim Oda road projects, for which CP was paid, were never constructed by the company.

CP was paid an amount of €102 million for the aforementioned roads, although the company never dug a hole at the sites.

Responding, the witness and her counsel said the €102 million paid to CP was for mobilisation and demobilisation and loss of profit.

According to them, had Government not abrogated the contract, CP would have constructed the roads.

They maintained that the final total amount of €94 million paid to CP was the negotiated settlement on all claims by the construction firm, which the former Attorney General spearheaded.

The witness and her team of solicitors are expected to return on Monday for further questioning on the matter.