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.
Ken Ofori Atta has committed perjury – George Opare Addo
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