Parliament has been blamed for approving the $510 million contentious Amei power contract signed under the previous administration.
The emergency power deal has been a source of controversy since it was signed as experts and other stakeholders in the power sector describe it as failing the value-for-money test.
Energy expert, Kojo Poku, says legislators should have scrutinised the power contract to ensure value for money before approving it.
“Parliament should have done due diligence,” he said Monday on Adom FM’s Burning Issues program hosted by Afia Pokua.
Mr Poku’s comment follows a press conference held by the Minority in Parliament daring the government to go to court over the deal if it is convinced the deal was fraudulent or overpricing
Former Power Minister, Dr. Kwabena Donkor, who addressed Monday’ press conference insists that the agreement went through Cabinet, the Committee on Mines and Energy, recommended by consensus before being passed by Parliament.
The conference was in response to findings of a 17-member Energy Review Committee chaired by private legal practitioner Philip Addison.
The Committee was constituted by the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, in a bid to put to rest speculations that the deal hurts the country’s finances.
After its investigations, which involved a trip to Dubai to meet with the management of the Ameri Energy Group, the Committee said the deal was overpriced by at least $150 million.
Speaking further on the matter, Kojo Poku said that the current administration should also constitute a commission of enquiry over the same power deal.
He, however, criticised the membership of the 17-member committee that was tasked to review the deal, revealing that that 14 of them were involved in the deal and for that matter did not qualify to investigate the same contract.
Source:Ghana/Adom News/Abednego Asante Asiedu
