Agyapa deal: We have been vindicated – Minority

Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, a ranking member on Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee believes the report by the Special Prosecutor on the Agyapa Royalties transaction has justified the Minority’s decision to boycott discussion on the deal.

Inusah Fuseini is convinced that the Minority has been proven right by Martin Amidu’s office over their reservations on the deal.

Speaking on Citi FM, the Tamale Central MP disclosed that he was overruled by the Speaker of Parliament when he raised similar issues when it came up in Parliament.

He said that he agrees with the assessment by the Special Prosecutor on the deal.

“When I raised these concerns in Parliament and the Speaker overruled me, I walked out of the chamber because we were engaged in constitutional illegality. In fact, Martin Amidu says there was no law. Well, I have been following this matter and I agree with Martin Amidu. I have seen the date that the President assented to the Bill and the day that the law was gazetted and that was way after the 14th of August 2020 so there is really a problem.”

Inusah Fuseini noted that the revelations made by the Special Prosecutor has exposed the deep partisan politics that exist in Ghana’s parliament.

“That also exposes the partisan nature of politics in Ghana and particularly Parliament. No matter the gravity of the matter, the Majority will treat suggestions of the Minority with impunity.

The Special Prosecutor in his risk assessment of the deal raised a number of issues with how the deal was passed.

Martin Amidu concluded that “the Finance Ministry failed to secure parliamentary approval before selecting the Transaction Advisors.”

“The analysis of the risk of corruption, and anti-corruption assessment in the bid selection process led to the assessment that the involvement of Imara Corporate Finance Limited (Pty) of South Africa in the Mandate Agreement as approved by the Public Procurement Authority made the Mandate Agreement an international business or economic transaction needing approval from Parliament under Article 181(5) which was never sought or given.

“There is reasonable suspicion of bid-rigging, and corruption activity including the potential for illicit financial flows and money laundering in the relationship between the Transaction Advisors and Databank of Ghana.”

Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has instructed the Finance Ministry to send the deal back to Parliament following Amidu’s revelations.