NDC slams Nii Lante Vanderpuye over claim to release Abuga Pele

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has categorically stated that the comment by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Odododiodioo, Nii Lantey Vanderpuije, that the NDC will free the convicted former national coordinator of GYEEDA is his personal opinion and not that of the party.

According to the party, the idea of freeing the former Chiana Paga MP is “absurd.”

Speaking to Accra based Citi FM, Hon. Vanderpuije suggested that the NDC will “bring Abuga Pele out” when it wins the 2020 general elections.

Abuga Pele and Philip Assibit are serving 6 and 12 years jail terms respectively for causing financial loss to the state.

The court presided over by Justice Afua Serwaa Asare Botwe found both accused persons guilty of all the nineteen counts leveled against them by the prosecution.

Mr. Assibit has since disclosed that he would be appealing what he termed as “wrong” conviction handed him.

Reacting to the comment by the former Sports Minister, the NDC said in a statement Monday February 26 that: “The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NDC wishes to place on record that the sentiment expressed by the Honourable Member on the above cited statement do not reflect in any remotest sense the position of the party regarding the fight against corruption in the country on the matter involving the conviction of Honourable Abuga Pele in particular.”

Reminding Ghanaians that the investigation and prosecution of the former MP for Chiana Paga was initiated by the NDC “as part of our strategy to rid the country of corruption” the statement signed by the party’s General Secretary Asiedu Nketia added: “It will therefore be absurd that after a successful conviction has been achieved in this particular case, the initiator will turn around to free any person who has been convicted as a result.

“We can understand the emotional trauma the family, friends and sympathizers of our former MP are going through at this critical moment. However, it is the belief of the leadership of NDC that in matters like this, the interest of the state cannot be subjected to individual or partisan interest.”

The NDC’s statement comes after George Lawson, a Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, dismissed the Odododiodioo MP’s comments as untenable.

“That’s not the position of the party,” he told Starr Midday News host Kwaku Obeng Adjei Monday February 26.

“We are against corruption and if a court of competent jurisdiction has gone through this matter and has come with a verdict, why should we revert it? Not at all,” he emphasized.