Posted
on: www.dailyguideghana.com
By
William Yaw Owusu
Thursday,
August 31, 2017
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has ordered
the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to
investigate three of his appointees who have been accused of corruption.
They include two Deputy Chiefs of Staff - Samuel Abu
Jinapor and Francis Asenso-Boakye - and Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful.
He has also charged the people making the
allegations to make themselves available to the CID to substantiate their
claims.
Controversial musician and satirist, Kwame Asare
Obeng popularly called Kwame A-Plus, recently alleged that the two deputy chiefs
of staff were involved in corruption-related activities and as a result, the president
has asked the Financial Forensic Unit of the CID to look into the matter.
Presidential
Audience
A-Plus, who is a member of the ruling NPP, said on
radio yesterday that he was at the seat of government on Tuesday and the president
granted him audience.
He later said he apologized to him (president) for
making the allegations public instead of using the appropriate channels.
“The approach
was very wrong. I have apologized to the president especially,” he said on Citi FM.
“It is not being public that will solve the issue.
It is about getting it to the right authorities and making sure that it is
sorted out. It was a very wrong approach. I have apologized. Any opportunity
that I have, I will apologize for the approach. The method was very wrong,” he
expressed.
A-Plus, however, did not take back his allegations
against the two deputy chiefs of staff when probed, according to Citi FM.
He had posted on his page on social media platform -
Facebook - that “…7 months of NPP
government. So far so good, except appointing some very corrupt officials,
including the two.......deputy chiefs of staff. It’s amazing how Nana was able
to appoint two thieves........Arrogant and corrupt.... You think you’ll be in
power forever. Even John Mahama, I was not afraid of him, then you (sic).”
In the case of the communications minister, the CID has
been asked to look into the allegation made by the New Patriotic Party (NPP)
Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, that the award
of the contract to produce National Identification Cards by the National
Identification Authority (NIA) was riddled with corruption.
There are other allegations made by the MP which are
being investigated by the CID, including the one he claimed there are some
people at the presidency and in the NPP who are charging $20,000 from private
individuals who want to gain access to President Nana Akufo-Addo at the
Flagstaff House.
Mr Agyepong has confirmed that the CID got in touch
with him last Friday before the NPP’s National Delegates’ Conference was held
in Cape Coast, the Central regional capital, the following day, where the
president declared that he wouldn’t allow any of his appointees to rock his
boat.
The MP said on Adom
FM on Tuesday that there was festering corruption at the Flagstaff House and
that it was not limited to the two deputy chiefs of staff.
He indicated his readiness to cooperate with the
investigators.
Asenso
Replies
One of the deputy chiefs of staff, Francis
Asenso-Boakye, incensed by A-Plus’ allegation, also took to the same social
media to reject the accusation leveled against him by the musician-turned
politician.
“Indulging in baseless accusations and
unsubstantiated claims of corruption and arrogance is beneath you and frankly
discredits you in the eyes of right-thinking Ghanaians. As the President noted
at the just-ended NPP Conference, he is willing and ready to look into any case
of alleged corruption. You may kindly take up his generous offer and present
your case to him,” he fought back.
President’s
Commitment
At the NPP’s progrmme in Cape Coast, President Akufo-Addo
reiterated his commitment to stem corruption in the country and warned his
appointees that he was not going to shield anybody found to be corrupt.
“Let me reassure you of one thing. Any allegation
about corruption against any official member of my government will be
investigated by the law enforcement agencies. And those who made that
allegation better be prepared to support it when they are making these
allegations of corruption because nobody is going to get away with it,” the
President said.
The president also said he has “instructed the law
enforcement agencies to investigate every allegation of corruption in my
government”.
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