Kitchen scandal: Gabby cited in GH¢187 million deal, as Ablakwa publishes explosive details

Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, lawyer and cousin of president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is the latest personality to come under the parliamentary oversight radar of North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

The lawmaker, on August 1, 2023, posted a series of documents to back his latest publication dubbed kitchen scandal.

He accuses Akufo-Addo's inner circle especially Gabby of engaging in a deal that is likely to cost the country huge sums of money.

He disclosed that the scandal in question was valued at GH¢187,356,969.55.

"The Kitchen Scandal is a tale of betrayal, bravado, double standards, influence peddling, dishonesty, greed, collusion, arm-twisting, naked nepotism and blatant rape of the public purse.

"The Kitchen Scandal will afford us a rare insight into how President Akufo-Addo’s “Kitchen Cabinet” operates and how destructive they have been to national progress," his introductory paragraphs to the exposé read.

According to Ablakwa, Otchere-Darko managed to get sections of government including the Attorney-General and elements within the Finance Ministry to agree to pay his new client the said amount even though there is no basis for so to be done.

"It is absolutely insane for Akufo-Addo’s “Kitchen Cabinet” to create this ginormous GHS187.3million liability for the Ghanaian taxpayer under this downgraded bankrupt IMF-bailout economy," the MP lamented.

Read excerpts of the MP's post below:

The Kitchen Scandal

The Kitchen Scandal is a tale of betrayal, bravado, double standards, influence peddling, dishonesty, greed, collusion, arm-twisting, naked nepotism and blatant rape of the public purse.

The Kitchen Scandal will afford us a rare insight into how President Akufo-Addo’s “Kitchen Cabinet” operates and how destructive they have been to national progress.

This Kitchen Scandal reveals the modus-operandi and sophisticated schemes of the grand master in the “Kitchen Cabinet” — Mr. Gabriel Asare Otchere-Darko, who prefers to be called Gabby Otchere-Darko.

Many people say Gabby is the “Prime Minister” of Ghana and what he wants always gets done — well, the volumes of intercepted documents in my possession appears to confirm this perception.

Gabby’s name has often come up in other multi-million dollar transactions such as PDS, Agyapa and recently Ameri when former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko accused him of unilaterally renegotiating the infamous Ameri novation agreement which led to the minister’s unceremonious exit.

Justice Dotse may likely describe this Kitchen Scandal as a well-hatched conspiracy to “Create-Loot-and-Keep,” perhaps in a Cecilia Dapaah-like fashion.

This Kitchen Scandal is valued at a stupendous GHS187,356,969.55.

How Gabby Otchere-Darko managed to get sections of government including the Attorney-General and elements within the Finance Ministry to agree that his new client: West Blue Company Limited must be paid the staggering GHS187.3million is most legendary.

It is absolutely insane for Akufo-Addo’s “Kitchen Cabinet” to create this ginormous GHS187.3million liability for the Ghanaian taxpayer under this downgraded bankrupt IMF-bailout economy.

Put in proper context, GHS187.3million is more than the entire 2023 budgetary allocation for the following ministries: Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (GHS76.6million); Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (GHS44.9million); Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (GHS6.4million); Ministry of Information (GHS141.4million) and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (GHS180.9million)

The monetary value of this scandal is also greater than the full 2023 approved budgets for the following institutions: Office of the Special Prosecutor (GHS129.5million); National Development Planning Commission (GHS13.2million); CHRAJ (GHS45.4million); NCCE (GHS84.4million); National Pensions Regulatory Authority (GHS98.4million) and Office of the Head of Civil Service (GHS50.2million).

Ironically, the GHS187.3million exceeds the total annual 2023 budgeted expenditure for the salaries of all lawyers and staff at the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice (GHS155.6million); all staff at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (GHS109.3million); all staff at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (GHS80.8million); all staff of the Ministry of Roads and Highways (GHS74.6million) — just to highlight a few.

Strikingly, GHS187.3million is far greater than what the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government is spending on numerous flagship programmes such as: Railways Development (GHS164.5million); Water and Sanitation Initiative (GHS74.4million); National Identification Authority (GHS37.6million); MASLOC (GHS14.4million); Fish Landing Sites (GHS26.3million) and Zongo Development Fund (GHS24.4million).