Nana Addo Must Act Now On John Kuma’s Fraud

Inside Ghana, a pressure group operating within the Ghanaian political landscape has observed with grave concern, attempts being made by some key politicians, particularly within the opposition New Patriotic Party and Nana Addo campaign team, to stifle the on-going investigations and prosecution of John Kuma; a close ally of Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo–Addo. John Kuma is also a member of the NPP communication team and an executive of the young patriots, a youth wing of the NPP.

As it can be recalled, the said John Kuma was picked up earlier this month by the State’s investigative body for serious crime, the Economic and Organised Crime Organisation (EOCO), for allegedly forging the stamp of National Investment Bank (NIB) to raise guarantee for a Japanese grant facility disbursed by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in 2009. NIB only became aware of this fraud some few months back when Bank of Ghana when contacted NIB to execute the guarantee. This explains the reason why John Kuma was only recently picked up by EOCO.

After his arrest to assist with investigation, Inside Ghana, has been following keenly the investigative proceedings and has stumbled upon incontrovertible evidence of the machinations by some leading political figures within the Nana Addo Campaign team to strangulate the investigation by using their past influence in government to slow it down, in the hope that in the unlikely event that the N.P.P assumes the reins of government , they will use their new role to throw out the case to relieve their embattled colleague from the punitive measures associated with the alleged offence of fraud and forgery. We are therefore not surprised that his bail was facilitated and signed by NPP chairman, Jacob Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey.

We at Inside Ghana are of the firm belief that this development if true would be inimical to the building of our state institutions going into election 2012. It will only serve to politicise our institutions and undermine their capacity to function effectively.

We are also not oblivious to the colourisation of serious fraud cases by corrupt individuals in their bid to garner political support and if successful, the eventual lack of political will by politicians to allow the state institutions the free hand to deal with these cases as they should. This is very instructive considering the initial pronouncement by the accused person upon arrest, that his arrest was “politically motivated”.

Against this backdrop, Inside Ghana, as a matter of concern;

• Calls on politicians within the Nana Addo campaign team to desist from this clandestine activity and allow the state institutions the free hand to operate. Failure to do so, may force us to make public the names of these individuals and their shameful acts.

• Again, we press on the standard bearer of the party, Nana Addo, to make public his stance on this matter and to distance himself and his campaign from John Kuma who still speaks on behalf of the party inorder to assure the Ghanaian public that he indeed is incorrptible.

• We also call on the media to take a keen interest in this matter and stay awake, vigilant and apolitical. We also entreat them to use their channels to investigate thoroughly and inform the good people of Ghana who now stand the risk of paying for this fraud the intended beneficiaries

• We call on the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to explain to Ghanaians how this fraud happened under their watch and what due diligence was done before John Kuma was given the Japanese facility

• Finally, we encourage the state institutions to be selfless in their service to the state by courageously, seeing this investigation and any other ongoing investigation through irrespective of the political pressures that may be brought to bear on their work by some scrupulous politicians.

• At this juncture we would like to passionately appeal to the investigative body, EOCO and the Judiciary to deliver justice to the people of Ghana without FEAR or FAVOUR.

We at Inside Ghana, have belief in the state institutions to deliver on their mandates going into election 2012, this we know is critical in delivering a free and fair election. Long live our motherland. God Bless Ghana

George Spencer Quaye – 0202615725 – gsquaye@gmail.com

Eric Akomanyi – 0205549243 – kwameakomanyi@gmail.com

Alex Doe – 0243304785 – kingalexdoe@yahoo.com