Cabinet Approves Release Of Assets To Busia's Family

ACCRA, Ghana (PANA) - Assets of Ghana's former prime minister, the late Kofi Abrefa Busia, which were confiscated by the state in 1976, are to be returned to his family on humanitarian grounds.

The Ghanaian cabinet has approved recommendations that the assets, taken on recommendations of a committee of inquiry, be returned to the Busia family as part of the process of reconciliation.

The National Redemption Council (NRC), which ousted Busia's Progress Party in 1972, set up a committee to determine which assets of specified public officials were legitimately acquired.

A report of the committee issued in 1976 said a number of assets, including two houses and several vehicles, were lawfully acquired by Busia.

However, it added, they should be forfeited to the state unless, within three months of the publication of the report, certain sums of money in Swiss francs and pounds sterling were paid to the government.

Communications Minister John Mahama late Tuesday said that although there was no record as to whether the money was refunded, the erstwhile Provisional National Defence Council, the military government headed by President Jerry Rawlings, ordered that all the lawfully acquired assets of Busia be returned to his estate.

Mahama said the committee, however, found that a house in Accra and four properties at Wenchi, Busia's hometown, were illegally acquired and were taken by the state.

"These are the properties which are to be returned to the administrators of Dr Busia's estate," Mahama said.

Busia, who was Prime Minister from 1969 to 1972, died in the late 1980s.