By William
Yaw Owusu
Wednesday
June 20, 2018
A spokesperson for former President John Dramani
Mahama sparked heated political debate after she launched unprovoked attacks on
President Akufo-Addo.
Reacting to a supposed petition that is seeking to
trigger investigations into the alleged conduct of Mr Mahama, Joyce Bawa
Mogtari, a cousin of the former president who served under the previous National
Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, said her boss, unlike President Nana
Akufo-Addo, is incorruptible.
She accused New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of
being behind the petition.
The petition for criminal investigation of Mr.
Mahama for alleged diversion of $13 million into private pockets meant for the
development of Western Region from the E.O. Group was reportedly sent to the Special
Prosecutor’s Office by Emmanuel Owusu, Eric Dumenu Akatsi, Peprah Kyei Baffour
and Dawda Eric.
The petitioners are seeking to invoke Section 3 (1) (b)
of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) to have the former president
investigated for alleged diversion of $13 million meant for the development of
Western Region as part of the corporate social responsibility of the E.O Group.
“The basis upon which this petition is brought to
your office is as a result of an article published on Ghanaweb.com on the 2nd December, 2016 by the longest serving
Deputy Attorney General of the Republic of Ghana in the person of Hon. Martin
Alamisi Amidu,” the petitioners said, adding “the said article alleged that
former President John Dramani diverted $13 million to private pockets when he
served as Vice President.”
They added, “We do consider the allegation against
him as criminal and for that matter, we humbly beseech your office to have this
matter investigated to get those monies retrieved to the public purse. It is
our conviction that the issue be considered in the interest of the Republic of
Ghana.”
In the ensuing heat, the office of the former president,
in a statement, described Mr. Mahama as ‘incorruptible’ and rather accused President
Akufo-Addo of corruption without evidence.
The former president was also fingered in a deal for
the acquisition of Embraer
aircraft for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) from the Brazilian company.
Former President Atta Mills was said to have ordered
the investigation before his death.
“Former President Mahama, unlike President Nana
Akufo-Addo, is incorruptible,” Ms Bawa-Mogtari said, adding that “Mr. Mahama expects
the Special Prosecutor, who the petitioners claim is the originator and source
of the false and dubious claims, to expeditiously commence its work.”
She said, “The petition is obviously another false
and dubious claim; furthermore, the said petition is another orchestrated but
failed attempt by the NPP government to divert attention from the numerous
corruption scandals suffocating it.”
“It actually makes mockery of the Special Prosecutor
that the surrogates of the NPP will cite as their evidence, an article they say
was written by him. This is a man who during his public vetting before
parliament said the allegations he made against various people over the years
were based on perception.”
“To suggest as the petition claims that a president
can divert funds from a private company in the circumstances described is
absurd.”
Original
Article
The said article written by then Citizen Vigilante,
who is now Special Prosecutor Martin A.B.K. Amidu on December 2, 2016 and
released to the media on December 5, said, “This President (then President
Mahama) pretends to prosecute only those he dislikes like Abuga Pele, the MP
for Paga, and a few others. But he only uses the pretended prosecutions to whip
his wayward party members into line. Heed well, they say past behaviour is a
predictor of future behaviour.”
He continued, “John Mahama is not a newcomer to the
corrupt practice of aiding the looting of the public purse. As a condition for
President Mills signing the controversial executive consent to permit the E.O.
Group to assign its $300 million shares to Tullow, the E.O. Group agreed to pay
$13 million to the government for the development of the Western Region, and
they called it corporate social responsibility.”
“It was John Mahama (as the Vice President) who
orchestrated the unlawful deal which I refused to endorse as the Attorney
General at the time. It was Mahama who ensured that the $13 million was paid
not to the government of Ghana for the benefit of the people, but into private
pockets which the late President Mills was shocked to hear shortly before his
death. So what is the talk of anti-corruption by this incumbent President
Mahama?”
“During his tenure, Ben Kumbour who succeeded me as
Attorney General refused to give the indemnity that was demanded from me by
this President (then as Vice President).
The indemnity was given in December
2014 when the late Miss Aikins (who was DPP when I was Attorney General) was
ordered to produce that criminal case docket I had left in her custody to an
officer of the Attorney General’s office upon the instructions of this
President. We are told this President is incorruptible? Tell it to the marines.”
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