CVM lauds NLA for GHC19 million payment into consolidated fund

Following strong allegations levelled against the NLA boss, Mr Kofi Osei Ameyaw, by a group known as the Concerned Voters Movement (CVM) regarding issues of legalizing ‘’banker to banker’’ operations and his alleged payment of GHC15, 000,000 to Merlin Gaming Limited as judgment debt as well as the payment of money into the consolidated fund, the Concerned Voters Movement has pointed out some positive feedbacks from the National Lotteries following the backlashes they unleashed on them.

In a meeting with the press on Wednesday, Founder and president of the Concerned Voters Movement (CVM), Mr. Razak Kojo Opoku lauded the National Lottery Authority (NLA) for paying GHC19 million into the consolidated fund.

According to him, the Ministry of Finance confirmed that they have received payment for the money on September 29 2017. ‘’I verified it myself on Monday myself at the ministry of finance. The NLA has paid GH¢19 million into the consolidated fund. We need to commend the NLA and also laud CVM for doing what is right.’’ he stated.

Mr Razak Opoku also indicated that the NLA has assured that the supposed GHC15,000, 000 judgement debt would not be paid to MERLIN Gaming Limited as mentioned earlier. ‘’the NLA has assured us fully that they will do anything possible to make sure that they don’t commit NLA funds to the Merlin Gaming Ghana Limited. This reason finally made us ‘’smoke the peace pipe’’ with them. He added.

He however warned all police officers and NLA regional managers who take bribes from ‘’banker to banker operators to refrain from arresting or taking bribes from them adding that the police can cause their arrest based on the approval from the board or the Director General of NLA.

‘’Some of these police officers and regional managers are extorting monies from these banker to banker operators. They are taking advantage of the vulnerability and inability of the NLA to enforce the 2006 National Lotteries Act722. They need to show permission letter from the director general before enforcing such exercise’’.

Background

A pressure group, Concerned Voters Movement (CVM), appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to investigate activities of the Acting Director-General (DG) of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Mr Kofi Osei Ameyaw. According to the movement, the NLA boss “lacks consistency,” because barely six months into office, he had allegedly presented a request to the newly constituted board to approve the payment of GH¢ 15, 000, 000 to Merlin Gaming Limited as judgment debt when the company had no contract with the NLA.

The group alleged that the DG “presented the said settlement for approval and payment at the very first official business meeting of the newly constituted Board, which was held on or around July 28, 2017.