The Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament, Mark Assibey Yeboah, has rubbished the Special Prosecutor’s corruption risk assessment report on the controversial Agyapa Royalties deal as sloppy.
“We thought the Special Prosecutor was going to do a thorough job and clear the doubts of Ghanaians but reading his corruption risk assessment report, this has been a sloppy job because the connected parties, I as Chairman of Finance Committee, he pronounces on our work, he did not even speak to me,” the New Juaben South legislator said.
“He came to Parliament gathering our reports on the works that we have done as if he is going behind us to get some information. Not everybody sits in the Finance Committee meetings so who is the best person to speak to when you want to know what transpired at the Finance Committee?
“I think this is the sloppiest job he has done so far and if he continues like this, I do not think anyone will take him seriously,” he added.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo instructed the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, to in the interest of transparency and accountability to the Ghanaian people, the Agreements supporting the transaction that were submitted to Parliament, and approved by the House, should be resubmitted to Parliament for the approval process to start all over again.
The President’s order followed the detection of some anomalies in the deal by the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu.
“…the process of the selection of the transaction advisor(s) disclosed a reasonable suspicion of bid-rigging and corruption activity including the potential for illicit financial flows and money laundering…,” the Special Prosecutor wrote in his corruption risk assessment report to President.
But the Minority in Parliament said the lawmaking chamber cannot remedy the defects associated with the controversial Agyapa deal.
Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said that with the referral from the executive and the president, parliament cannot remedy the defects as captured in the conclusions of the Special Prosecutor.
“So, I do not see the NDC Minority ever supporting anything Agyapa. I want to be convinced that it’s worthy building a national consensus on and that will be premised on three important issues”, Iddrisu said.
