The Minority Caucus of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Parliament on Wednesday called on Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta to immediately resign, or be dismissed and subsequently prosecuted for breaches in connection with the issuance of the US$ 2.25 million bond last year.
The Minority also urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo to take appropriate steps to ensure that the Finance Minister was removed from office, or it ”shall invoke a motion of censorship in accordance with Article 82 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana to remove him as soon as possible.”
Addressing a press conference at the Parliament House, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Leader of the Minority and MP for Tamale South, said adverse findings contained in a report of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) on the bond issue vindicates the Minority’s position that “the US 2.25 was fraught with irregularities and did not comply with Ghanaian laws.”
Flanked by Mr Cassiel Ato Forson, Ranking Member on Finance; Alhaji Mohamed-Mubarak Muntaka, Minority Chief Whip and some other members on the Finance Committee, Mr Iddrisu said despite denials by the Minister, the report confirmed the position of the Minority, that the issuance did not follow due process.
The Minority noted breaches of improper use of issuance calendar, breach of period of issue, lack of parliamentary approval, leakage of information on the bond to some investors before the Ministry of Finance requested the Bank of Ghana to issue the bond notices to the markets.
The (CHRAJ) report further noted that additional information about the bond issuance was sent to investors before the Ministry of Finance released the 2nd Quarter issuance calendar,” Mr Iddrisu said, adding “who were the beneficiaries of the leak, prior to an auction that also curtailed the period of notice?”
Quoting the CHRAJ report, the Minority said it was surprised that the Finance Minister and others, continued to portray complete exoneration by the CHRAJ, when the Commission reported of the Minister’s extensive interests in the securities market through shareholding in several companies that operated within the sector.”
“Of concern to the Minority, is the revelation in the CHRAJ report that the Minister concealed his interests in a number of financial institutions in his asset declaration forms filed after his appointment,” the Leader of the Minority said.
He stated further that “according to the CHRAJ report, documents from the Registrar Genera’ls Department show clearly that Mr Ofori Atta was a shareholder in Data Bank Financial Services Limited, Data Bank Brokerage Limited and Data Bank Financial Holdings Limited.
“However, he failed to state in his asset declaration forms, presented on 12th March, 2017 to the Auditor General that he had shares in the companies.”
“This constitutes a serious breach of Section 7 of the Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act, 1998 (Act 550),” it said, adding that ”the Minister’s actions also contravene Section 251 of the Criminal Offenses Act (Act 29, 1960) which deals with deceiving a public officer.”
The Minority observed that the Minister, on his appearance before Parliament in 2017 had told the House that information requested by the Minority, as required by the Constitution, on terms and conditions for issuance of some bonds, was ‘market sensitive’ and insisted it could not be disclosed.
It however said the documents were already in the public domain, and urged the CHRAJ to release further documents that may be in its possession to satisfy or deny public curiosity.
Source: GNA
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These ares some noises the minority wanted to make that was why they hurriedly appointed the CHRAJ boss so he will give the NDC ammunition to make noise? It will not wash!
KEN IS CRIMINAL HE IS HIDEN SOMETHING WELL DONE MINORITY
Ken is not telling NDC directly in the face that they are incompetent and that is exactly what makes the irony of it. And it seems to be more effective than telling them in the face. Rather,Ken has maturely Chosen to demonstrate with competence, devotion,patriotism and hardwork that he could manage the economy far better in one year than NDC's 8 years of incompetent Administration. And NDC feels uncomfortable and are trying desperately to get raid of him, but that will definitely not work.Thus, deeds not words seem to send shiver in the spine of NDC.They tried with Vice President and Osafo Marfo and it didn't work and now Ken is on the line of NDC's mischievous politicking.
Empty Barrels!
NDC MPs since the coming of Nana Addo has made it their target to find fault and attack the key personalities of Akuffo Addo government. They attacked Bawumia Digital Mapping of Ghana as 419. They also accused Agyarko Kyeremanteng to have paid bribe at vetting of ministers. In another desperate move they accused Alan Kyeremateng and Trade and Industry ministry of extortion. the last two came to involve Public Parliamentary inquiry and all Ghanaian have come to know the lies and desperation of NDC MPs to find fault with Key personalities in Nana Addo NPP government. As they failed in the previous attempt, they have now turned their guns on the Finance Minister. But in all their cases, they have weak claims and it is sometimes illogical. They rush and they get it wrong, yet they want to try their luck. As one social analyst indicated, they are doing all this in attempt to score political equalization in corruption claims made against many of the appointees of Mahama government. They know it would not work yet they keep trying their luck. The intention of NDC MPs became very glare in the recent Parliamentary Inquiry. The posture and attitude of Hon. James Klutse Avedzi Deputy Minority Leader, when he was interrogating Mr Kyeremateng. We could see from TV coverage that he was only interested to score a political goal and not aim to unravel the truth of the matter defined by parliament for the committee. It was very clear from his facial expression and giggling gesture. Eventually he began to asked questions which technically was outside the perimeters of the committee. For some of us it was like an Auditor General periodic auditing of Trade and Industry Ministe. Though NDC might change faces to deliver such press conference, the value is the same, whether it is Okudzeto, Muntaka or Idrissu.