Let’s rise above witch-hunting and entrapment - Ofori-Atta reprimands Anas, others at committee hearing?

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, on Friday, November 18, 2022, appeared before an 8-member committee ad hoc committee of parliament hearing a vote of censure motion against him.

The minister as part of his appearance gave a response to five out of the 7 grounds levelled against him by the minority in parliament who are the proponents of the motion.

In the concluding part of his response, the finance minister sought to rally the support of the nation in getting Ghana through its current economic challenges.

Whiles at it, the minister also asked that the nation rise above what he described as entrapment and witch-hunting.

“As a nation, we are being tested. Our circumstances require a united and concerted response to the crisis. I implore our chiefs, elders, and churches to take the mantle and speak a common language. Let us all work as one country to support labour negotiations, find a solution to the impasse in Parliament and rise above witch-hunting and entrapment. These are not ennobling and progressive for a society seeking transformation,” the minister said.

The statement by the minister comes a few days after investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, implicated the Minister of State for Finance, Charles Adu Boahen leading to his sacking by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Following the publication of the piece by Anas, critics of the investigative journalist have argued that he relies on entrapment as his modus operandi for implicating his subjects.

It has also been reported that undercover agents of the journalist as part of their recent project met with Ken Ofori-Atta at Dubai airport but saw the minister refuse a supposed amount that was meant for the minister’s “shopping.”

There are mounting public calls for Ken Ofori-Atta’s resignation. The calls have been boosted by the censure motion filed against him by the minority in parliament who among other things have cited conflict of interest, mismanagement of the economy and breaching of the economic management laws as grounds for the motion.

But appearing before the committee on Friday, Mr Ofori-Atta flatly denied all the allegations.

The committee is expected to report to the plenary of parliament with recommendations after it concludes its work.



GA/FNOQ