President Akufo-Addo
Time, they say, eventually reveals all truths. This is certainly the case of forked-tongue Nana Akufo-Addo in the anti-corruption fight in Ghana. The writings were written on the walls long before he officially became President of Ghana.
Events within his own New Patriotic Party (NPP) party in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election concerning NPP’s bank transactions on the NPP Prudential Bank account were enough red flags which should not have been ignored.
The latest exposé by the former Special Prosecutor, Martin A.B.K Amidu, all but confirms that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is himself neck-deep in the numerous corruption scandals being witnessed under his watch. According to Martin Amidu, Akufo-Addo attempted to interfere in the independence of his work as Special Prosecutor in the infamous Agyapa scandal.
In the Special Prosecutor’s report on “The Analysis of the Risk of Corruption and Anti-Corruption Risk Assessment of the Processes Leading up to the Request for Approval of Transaction Agreements and Tax Exemptions Granted by Parliament Thereunder in Relation to the Gold And Royalties Monetization Transaction under the Minerals Income Investments Fund Act 2018 (ACT 978) and Other Related Matters Thereto”, exposed Nana Akufo-Addo of being complicit in the Agyapa scandal.
Nana Akufo-Addo together with some of his relatives and cronies including Ken Ofori-Atta (cousin and Finance Minister), Gabby Otchere-Darko (Nephew), Yaw Osarfo-Marfo (Senior Minister), Kofi Bosompem Osarfo-Marfo (son of Yaw Osarfo-Marfo) were allegedly found to have engaged in possible bid-rigging, and corruption activity, including potential facilitation of illicit financial flows and money laundering in arrangements on how fees payable were to be channeled through Databank Financial Services of Ghana as a decoy, and this was clearly not authorized in compliance with provisions of the Public Procurement Authority Act, 2003 (ACT 663) as amended by the Public Procurement Authority Act, 2016 (ACT 914) when they were selected to act as Transaction Advisor(s).
The report also revealed that all parties to the Mandate Agreement were deemed to been aware and ought to have known the country’s procurement law and procurement regulations but rather chose to ignore same with impunity by signing and implementing the Mandate Agreement which for all intents and purposes is null and void ab initio having violated the Public Financial Management Act (ACT 921) and the Public Procurement Authority Act, 2003 ACT 663) as amended.
In Martin Amidu’s resignation letter to Nana Akufo-Addo, the Special Prosecutor stated that after he conducted the thorough risk assessment, the President upon hearing that the report had been completed, ordered the Chief of Staff, Hon. Frema Osei-Opare, to invite the former Special Prosecutor to the Jubilee House for discussions.
Upon reaching Nana Akufo-Addo’s office, the President attempted to have comments from Ken Ofori-Atta’s inserted in the report and suggested that the report should also be shelved, but for the incorruptibility of Martin Amidu, Nana Akufo-Addo would have succeeded. The attempted act of interference by Nana Akufo-Addo, and subsequent alleged death threats issued on Martin Amidu from persons allegedly associated with Nana Akufo-Addo were enough reasons for Martin Amidu to tender his resignation as the Special Prosecutor.
The attempted interference by Nana Akufo-Addo cited by Martin Amidu on the issuance of the Agyapa report cast doubts over previous reports on alleged corruption scandals that have happened under his watch. Could we infer that perhaps similar acts of interference may have been occasioned by Nana Akufo-Addo when reports on these previous corruption scandals were issued like reports on the Australia visa racketeering scandal by Hon. Pius Hadzide, the BOST’s report on Movenpina-Zup Oil contaminated fuel saga, etc? Could this be the reason why suspects involved in all previous corruption allegations under Nana Akufo-Addo’s watch are somehow absolved of any wrong doings?
