We didn’t ask NDC to order new cars – Oppong-Nkrumah

Government has strenuously denied claims by a former Presidential Staffer that the NDC government ordered the purchase of some 43 new vehicles a few days before leaving office at the behest of the new Akufo-Addo government.

The previous administration led by former President John Mahama was accused of illegally procuring the aforementioned vehicles for the presidency at a cost of over nine million dollars four days before leaving office, an accusation Dr. Clement Apaak flatly rejected.

Speaking Saturday June 3, 2017 on Accra-based Citi FM, he said the purchase was at the request of the incoming administration.

He said: “It’s indeed true that the said vehicles were ordered, but the request was made to our side during the transition. So if indeed the vehicles have been procured, I can say on authority that it was part of the request which was made by the incoming government.”

But speaking on the same network Monday June 5, 2017, a deputy Minister of information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah denied Dr. Apaak’s claims.

According to him, after speaking to the Senior Minister, Osafo Marfo who was the chairman of the Transition Team side of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) the incoming government never requested for the said vehicles.

“There was no such conversation even and this morning [June 5, 2017] I’m speaking to you on his authority there was not even a conversation of this kind to purchase new vehicles or even to request for new vehicles, let alone to put such a request into writing to anybody,” Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah averred.

He added: “…It sounds strange that if a new government is coming in and wanted vehicles, why would we request or insist that the previous government should buy it before they go. You would want to then come in and perhaps make your own choice and particularly even for security reasons, it would sound a bit strange.”

For him, as far as they are concerned they are unaware of any request and that he is speaking on the authority of Mr. Marfo.

Meanwhile, Dr. Apaak has indicated that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) would release documentary evidence of the request if they felt victimized by the current government.