ISOFOTON Saga: “NPP” activist vows to expose Mpiani, Oquaye et.al

A self-professed member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who claims to have introduced Isofoton SA to the Kufour Administration, has warned leading members of the erstwhile administration to “shut up” over the issue of payment of wrongful judgement debts or risk being exposed.

A clearly irritated Matthew Addai said he cannot fathom why leading NPP members like former Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye and former Chief of Staff, Kwadwo Okyere Mpiani; who he claims are privy to the facts of the issue would spew lies on the matter and also have the moral justification to call for the prosecution of a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice (in the Mills’ administration), Betty Mould-Iddrisu.

“I am very surprised these two people would come on the radio to peddle such untruths with regards to the issue, despite the fact that they are in the know as far as the truth is concerned…I am ready to come and have a press conference and disclose everything regarding Isofoton…so that, all will know the wrongs done to Isofoton,” he said.

Mr. Addai, further asserted that, he introduced Isofoton to Hon. Ken Dapaah, the then Minister of Energy and also lead him to Spain for the signing of the agreement, stressing that: “if these people turn around to claim Isofoton did not have any contract, then it is not true”.

Matthew Addai’s assertions come on the heels of a Supreme Court ruling, which declared the payment to the Spanish firm Isofoton SA as illegal, and further ordered the refund of about $400,000 to the Ghana Government.

This ruling, however, generated intense public discussions on the role of certain individuals, in connection to the payment of the said judgment debt.

It was during one of such discussions on Okay Fm, which the former Chief of Staff reiterated that, the ruling affirms his earlier position that the Spanish firm had no contract with the Government of Ghana to warrant any payment.

Mr. Mpiani also rejected claims that the debt controversy emanated from him because he cancelled the contract signed with Isofoton.

“No individual can cancel a contract of the government. In government, no individual can cancel a contract the government had signed. Any individual who does that will be sacked, and for that matter, I would have been sacked if I cancelled that of Isofoton,” he stressed.

Prof. Mike Ocquaye, on his part, prayed that: “everybody who was involved” in the payment of over US$325, 000 to Spanish energy company Isofoton S.A “be seriously punished”.

Prof. Mike Ocquaye, who was Energy Minister in 2005 when the bidding process was opened, told the media the company had “no contract with the State,” nor did it render any services to the country to warrant the demand of such a payment.

“…The fact is that they never reached the stage of having a contract…they never won a contract; they never had a contract,” Prof. Ocquaye insisted.

The former NPP presidential aspirant claimed Isofoton deliberately and craftily maneuvered its way into getting the government of the late President Mills to pay the judgment debt award, despite knowing very well that it neither had a contract with the Government of Ghana nor rendered any services to the country.

Betty Mould-Iddrisu was Attorney General at the time of the payment of the judgment debt. She was deputised by Ebo Barton-Oduro at the time.

Prof. Mike Ocquaye says all those former government officials must be prosecuted for fraud.

“…The only thing that should happen is that, people who treat Ghana like this must be seriously punished and nobody should ever do that again…Everybody involved in this fraud must be punished,” he asserted.

But speaking on Asempa Fm, Matthew Addai strongly differed and was of the considered view that the two afore-mentioned leading members of his beloved party, would have been better off “shutting their mouths” because they have provoked him to disclose their ignoble deeds.

The self-proclaimed NPP activist hinted of an imminent press conference in Accra soon, to reveal all he knows about the contract, and vowed to use every legal means to pursue the case to its logical conclusion.

According to him, he was initially hesitant in becoming a party to the case, due to the fact that he is an NPP member, but has decided to do so openly now because Ghanaians need to know the “wicked people behind this deal”.