Mahama's govt is the most tolerant of rampant corruption – NPP

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) says the glaring cases of naked, barefaced and blatant corruption that have characterised President John Dramani Mahama’s government have left many Ghanaians in deep shock.

According to the party, records available to all Ghanaians show clearly that President Mahama's government is not only the most tolerant of corruption but is also neck deep in corruption and has the worst record in fighting corruption in the Fourth Republic.

These were contained in a statement issued by Nana Akomea, Director of Communication of the NPP, in response to President Mahama’s statement in London, United Kingdom, last Thursday, May 12, 2016, that his government has a good record in fighting corruption.

President Mahama stated that he has never taken a bribe, although he has been offered.

The NPP noted that a bribe may generally be defined as taking some inducement (money, houses, cars, scholarships for children, etc.) before one performs an official function or gives some favour to another person or party.

“For the question to be put this way, not even officials convicted of corruption charges nor ministers who have resigned their positions over corruption will admit to the taking of bribes!

“Fact is, the main forms of corruption this National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has engaged in have included a combination of single sourcing procurement and what a Supreme Court justice termed ‘create, loot and share’ schemes,” the statement added.

President Mahama, in London, cited his government's prosecution of some officials at the National Service Scheme as example of his fight and enforcement of the laws against corruption, and in response, the NPP wants President Mahama to answer to the world why he has not or would not enforce the same laws against corruption in the several other more egregious and blatant cases of naked corruption and theft of taxpayers’ monies.

“Why are the perpetrators of the payment of GH?52.8 million ($35 million) to Mr Woyome still walking free?

“Why are the perpetrators of the payment of over $30 million to messrs Waterville still walking free?

“Why are those who paid GH?72m ($36 million) to Subah Info Solutions for no work done still walking free and at post?

“Why are those public officials working in his office who perpetrated payments to Rlg and Asontaba in SADA GH?15m ($9 million ) and GH?36m ($18 million ) still walking free?

“Why are those public officials who colluded and perpetrated payments in the GYEEDA scandals of over GH?200m ($100m) to the same Rlgs, Asontaba Cottage Industries, Better Ghana Management Services, Zeera, etc still walking free?” the statement questioned.

It explained that in the case of GYEEDA, the government's own investigation committee indicted and demanded the prosecution of officials, including ministers of state for bribe taking, forgery of multiple bank accounts and serial awards of contracts to so-called ‘service providers’, even as those contracted services were not provided.

“Why are the perpetrators of the Smarttys bus branding scandal still walking free, even when the Attorney General had determined that those officials should be prosecuted in accordance with the laws?

“Why are major public contracts done through single sourcing leading to sometimes 200% to 300% inflation of contract prices as complained about by even the sitting Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Collins Dauda?

“Why is President Mahama's so-called probity, transparent and accountable government being ordered by the courts to publish a report on corruption done by the Attorney-General as in the Smartty's case?” it queried.

NPP challenged President Mahama’s statement in London that he does not put himself in a position to be bribed as he does not involve himself and his office in public procurement, describing the statement as untruth.

To buttress its argument, the NPP said in one specific case involving the contract for a major public service - the contracting for the single window inspection at the ports, a contract and service that involves millions of dollars - that contract was awarded to a company directly dictated from the Office of the President, against all the procurement laws of Ghana.

According to the NPP, President Mahama has still not responded to charges from no less a person than Mr Martin Amidu, then sitting Attorney-General, that President Mills had set up an investigation into the procurement of an aircraft from Brazil, a deal led and negotiated by then Vice-President Mahama in 2010.

“The implication of the setting up of such committee on President Mahama's integrity cannot be wished away.

“It is still surprising to many Ghanaians that such a charge from the then Attorney-General has not been refuted neither by President Mahama nor any of the named members of that committee,” it added.

The statement said in the Armajaro case, the Times of London newspaper on October 31, 2010 reported that Armajaro had lobbied then Vice-President Mahama and made payments to get a ban that had been placed on the company in Ghana after an Anas Aremeyaw Anas investigation lifted, saying, “Up till now, we have not got closure on this matter as the reputed British newspaper has not retracted their story”.

In reference to the STX housing deal, the NPP said the Koreans claimed in open court during abrogation hearings that they had paid facilitation fees of $10 million to government officials to facilitate the contract.

“Then Vice-President Mahama led those negotiations. Up till today, Ghanaians have not been told who got those monies and how the Koreans have been reimbursed,” it added.

The NPP noted that the Chief Justice has long set up a special court to prosecute corruption cases but there still seems to be a big deficit in the prosecution of the numerous cases of corruption identified in the Auditor-General's reports.

“In the words of the Chief Justice of Ghana, corruption today is at a ‘tipping point’.

“In the words of President J.J. Rawlings, who is the founder of the NDC and President Mahama's former boss, corruption today in President Mahama's government is now ‘endemic,’” it said.