Former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ekuapem North, George Opare Addo, says Ofori Atta committed perjury when he failed to declare all his assets as found by the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
According to the former MCE, the investor confidence in Ghana is fast dipping, saying it is the reason ESLA failed twice in the bond market.
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“If the CHRAJ findings say he was in a potential conflict of interest and that he failed to declare his assets, it is perjury; as a public officer, he has lied to the nation so I ask: where in the world will you commit the offence of perjury as Finance Minister and still be in office”, he wondered.
Mr. Opare Addo who was speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem show on Wednesday, also accused the Finance Minister of populating boards under the ministry with 16 members of his private company – Data Bank and Enterprise Group Limited of which he, Ofori Atta, was the head.
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Providing a basis for his accusations, Mr. Opare said the Finance Minister had appointed Mr. Ogbami, a former employee of Data Bank as Chief Executive of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), a body he said declined to investigate the minister’s actions in the bond saga.
CHRAJ in December, 2017 cleared Ofori-Atta of the allegations of conflict of interest in the issuance of the bond, but found him guilty of some infractions in the process.
This followed a petition to the Commission by Brogya Genfi, a known member of the opposition National Democratic Congress [NDC].
CHRAJ, in its ruling on the case, observed that Primary Dealers also doubled up as Bookrunners/Transaction Advisors and that dual role gave them an undue advantage.
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It also observed that the “Respondent is either a director; former director or shareholder, or beneficial owner, of several companies whose objects relate to the securities market sector.
The companies include Databank and EGL and as such, Respondent’s interests in the growth and well-being of those companies, have the potential to conflict with the interests of the state in relation to the securities market such as the issuance of bonds.
It stated also that “The Respondent has business partners and associates related to the securities industry where, according to the Respondent, he has been working for over thirty years.
These business partners and associates include partners in Databank, Enterprise Group Limited, Ventures and Acquisitions Limited, as well as Keli Gadzekpo, Trevor Trefgarne and Angela Ofori Atta, also Respondent’s spouse.”
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It is these findings that, according to the former MCE, provide grounds for Mr. Ofori Atta to either resign honorably or be forced to do so in the face in the face of the perjury committed by him.
The Minority group in Parliament has recently presented the finance minister with three options – resign, get sacked, face court but the minister is yet to provide a response.
Sometimes it is prudent for a news medium.to avoid publishing stories that would taint their reputation. Adom is a worthy news outlet and its readership very wide and therefore need to keep its reputation. Please avoid non worthy news items. People seek attention because they want to execute their goals and please dont be that medium that would catapult such attention seekers to undeserved positions. Its obvious opare addo is seeking to contest one of the several positions in the ndc and would want to use the various platforms for his ambition. There are abviously good and dedicated people in the ndc. Such persons should be promoted because they wont be peddling trivial issues but would have the nation at heart. First and foremost please protect your image. Opare addo’s comments on the finance minister should be treated with the contempt it deserves for it holds no weight.
That is your opinion instead of you listening the facts hes giving you are saying he wants position..its very true our finance minister has commited perjury and needs to face the law..Because of politics so when the truth is out you want Ghanaians to ignore because the truth hurts..Ghana will never develop or move forward with this attitude..Kwabena get it..
Alfred, what facts is opare addo providing? None, only some absurd thoughts that have been put together and being trumpeted by the ndc communicators. Do you know their mondus operandi?. Its amazing to wake up in the morning to hear them on the airwalves singing the same song. They act and repeat the same words like our kingdergarten folks reciting a poem. Where has ken perjured? Which of his statements commit him of perjury. Press conferencing on trivialities and non existent crimes is like drawing water with basket full of holes. It would yield nothing. Come on, wake up . I have said time and again that Ghana should raise the age status of all aspiring parliamentarians to 40 yrs and above. Maturity counts and Algban Gbabin has demonstrated that.
Refreshing to read your comments Kwabena. NDC modus operandus continues but it shall get nowhere.