Ofori-Atta still in govt because of nepotism – Asiedu Nketia

The opposition National Democratic Congress says Finance Minister ken Ofori-Atta and his deputy Charles Adu-Boahen should be prosecuted over the Agyapa Royalties deal.

According to General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, conclusions of the Special Prosecutor after his corruption risk analysis on the agyapa deal is enough to have led to the suspension of the two officials.

“In any serious country, Ken Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu-Boahen would have been suspended pending criminal investigations or better still, under criminal prosecution by now. Sadly, in our case, President Akufo-Addo has decided to shield these corrupt officials from punishment as he usually does. This is exactly what nepotism does to a country."

“It completely blinds leaders and weakens their ability to crack the whip on their errant and corrupt appointees,” he told a news conference in Accra Tuesday.

Mahama on Agyapa

The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama, has called on President Akufo-Addo to order the complete withdrawal of the Agyapa Royalties deal and dismiss the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta.

According to the former President, the damning report by the Special Prosecutor does not bode well for the Finance Minister and dents the reputation of his government if he fails to relieve him of his job.

The Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu has raised issues with the controversial Agyapa Royalties Deal.

In his corruption risk assessment of the controversial deal, Mr. Amidu argued among other things that consultations over the agreement were not comprehensive and innovative enough.

He further disclosed that the selection and appointment of advisors for the agreement did not meet the “fundamentals of probity, transparency and accountability.”

The Special Prosecutor in his report took a swipe at the various officials who took part in the processes leading to the approval of the agreement.

According to him, the actors flouted several laws with impunity prior to the approval of the agreement.

“All the parties to the Mandate Agreement are deemed to have known the law but ignored it with impunity in signing and implementing the Mandate Agreement which is null and void ab initio as violating the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) and the Public Procurement Authority Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) as amended. This conduct which appears to have been in furtherance of the suspected bid-rigging, in the assessment of this Office severely lowered the risk of corruption, and rendered them a low risk enterprise in the Agyapa Royalties Transactions process and their approval.

“It is with these new lenses that the analysis of the risk of corruption, and anti-corruption assessments of the legality of the engagement of the other services providers and underwriters on the recommendations of the Transaction Advisors acting as the Ministry of Finance’s procurement entity tender committee contrary to Part VI of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) as amended, and Sections 7 and 25 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) afore-quoted were made.”

Speaking on the Morning Starr on Tuesday, former President Mahama said the report by Mr Amidu is not surprising since the issues raised were well known.

“[The report] is not surprising, the minority said it, 13 CSOs said it and so it is not surprising that the Special Prosecutor has said it. The issue for value for money those were issues that came up…but Special Prosecutor kicked in and has raised the issues…the issue is not returning it to parliament, it should be withdrawn completely.