<<Print>>

Kojo Twum Boafo has accused Kwamena Bartels of engaging in create loot and share when he was a Minister of Interior under the erstwhile administration of President Kufuor. The Free Zones Chief Executive said Mr. Bartels connived with others to insist that an Italian grant of 22 million Euros from the Italian government was given to her daughter, Sheila Bartels who owned a company; Stay Sweet Sugar. The Enquirer newspaper a few years ago got hold of a statement signed by then Minister of Interior asking that the Italian grant be extended to his daughter�s company. According to the paper, Mr. Bartels explained that "the letter he wrote for the facility to be extended to his daughter was only an administrative" statement. Kojo Twum Boafo raised the issue again on Wednesday�s edition of �Kokrokoo� and indicated that �Kwamena Bartel�s conduct was conflict of interest� However in a quick rebuttal, Kwamena Bartels denied the accusation. According to him, he excused himself from the board in charge of the grant after he realized that his daughter�s name was on the list of applicants. �The Italian Private Sector Facility was advertised. It was published for businesses to submit their application� when we met to award the grant to successful and approved applicants, I realized my second daughter�s name was on it and so I announced that I have seen my daughter�s name on the list and so I was excusing myself from the decision-making according to the constitution... Records are there to prove that I excused myself. Later I got to know that she was approved�I have said this thing several times but it keeps coming up� it is not fair to me,� the former Minister of Interior pointed out on the same platform. However, unrepentant Twum Boafo insists even if he (Kwamena Bartels) excused himself, he could have still influenced the decision of the board.