Mahama’s aide spars with Akufo-Addo’s lawyer online over ‘mysterious’ $20m BoG money

The Special Aide of former President John Dramani Mahama, Joyce Bawah Mogtari; and the Legal Counsel to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Kow Essuman; engaged in a lengthy legal debate on X over the transfer of $20 million to the Bank of Ghana, which reports say is supposed to be for the Central Bank of Liberia.

Kow Essuman had criticised the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who sounded the alarm bells over the transfer of the $20 million, alleging that the money was for the Bank of Ghana and not the Central Bank of Liberia.

The president's legal counsel, in response, accused Ablakwa of misinforming the public with the details he shared about the said amount of money.

He pointed out that the airway bill that the North Tongu legislator shared online as evidence that the $20 million belongs to the Bank of Ghana does not hold because a waybill would also be given to the Central Bank of Liberia after the money is transferred there.

He added that the MP could have handled the information he got better to avoid misinforming the public.

Also reacting to this, Bawah Mogtari asked why the president’s lawyer was responding to the issues raised and not the Bank of Ghana.

She also asked Kow Essuman to explain how the North Tongu legislator should have handled the information he got about the $20 million and the legal framework for handling such issues.

She further wondered why the money was brought to Ghana first before it was transferred to Liberia because the other country also has an airport.

“Tell us how a colossal amount of USD 20 million is actually transiting through Ghana en route to Liberia and why please?

"The @thebankofghana has a huge Legal Department and a huge public relations department unless you have been engaged as Legal Counsel Last time I checked you were on record as Counsel for @NAkufoAddo. Thank you,” she wrote on X.

Kow Essuman came back to respond to Bawah Mogtari, insisting that Ablakwa could have handled the information he got differently to avoid misinforming the public.

He also said that there are a lot of inconsistencies in the evidence provided by the MP that the $20 million was actually for the Bank of Ghana.

“Hon, I am not holding brief for @thebankofghana or anything but I am curious, is this the best way to handle such information? Again, there are inconsistencies in your write-up and the documentation posted in support thereof. I see no mention of US$20 million anywhere but for your commentary. I stand to be corrected. Furthermore, there is no currency stated on the Air Waybill except for ‘GBP’ which refers to Pounds Sterling. But even that refers to the cost of the shipment,” he replied.

Read their full posts below:

Counsel @kaessuman

I am not holding brief for you, or anyone else for that matter

But please let me ask you the following questions just because you are my learned colleague and friend;

1.What exactly is the best way to handle such information please

Liberia has a Central… https://t.co/unZRisPeJo

— Joyce Bawah Mogtari (@joyce_bawah) August 27, 2024

Senior, there is no way you can be holding brief for me if you’re directing questions at me. At best, you could be holding brief for the Hon @S_OkudzetoAblak, in respect of whom my post concerns.

I raised a number of inconsistencies and inaccuracies I noted in his post, which…

— Kow Essuman (@kaessuman) August 27, 2024

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