Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has refuted allegations levelled against him with regards to the construction of the National Cathedral Project.
According to the Minority in Parliament, the Finance Minister has made unconstitutional withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund.
This, they say, contravenes Article 178 of the 1992 Constitution, which states that no moneys shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund except where the issue of those moneys has been authorised by “an Appropriation Act; or by a supplementary estimate approved by resolution of Parliament passed for the purpose; or by an Act of Parliament enacted under article 179 of this Constitution.”
In response to the allegations, the Finance Minister explained that he has breached no laws.
Explaining to the ad hoc Committee interrogating the censure motion against him on Friday, Mr Ofori-Atta said “It (the allegation) presupposes that Parliament is assuming the jurisdiction to enforce or interpret a provision of the constitution against the combined effect of Articles 21 and 131, which grants the sole and exclusive power to the Supreme Court.”
“Nonetheless, I say with bold humility and confidence that I have not breached the constitution in making payment to support the construction of the national cathedral of Ghana,” he added.
The sector minister also indicated that he has taken no money from the Contingency Fund to make payment for the National cathedral.
Also, the Minority in Parliament also argue that Mr Ofori-Atta has among other things; made illegal payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts, misreported economic data to Parliament, mismanaged the economy, leading to the depreciation of the Ghana cedi.