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Tag: Dr Dominic Ayine

  • Mustapha Ussif, Gifty Oware-Mensah, 10 others to be charged for NSA scandal

    Mustapha Ussif, Gifty Oware-Mensah, 10 others to be charged for NSA scandal

    Attorney-General (A-G) and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has revealed the identities of 10 out of 12 individuals who will be charged and prosecuted for the financial scandal at the National Service Authority (NSA).

    The individuals set to be charged, according to Dr Ayine, during a press briefing today include:Mustapha Ussif, a former Executive Director, Gifty Oware-Mensah, former Deputy Executive Director; Osei Assibey Antwi, former Director General;Kwaku Ohene Gyan, former Deputy Executive Director for Operations.

    The others are Abraham Bismarck Gaise, former Internal Auditor; Kwaku Adjei, an Account Officer;Iddrisu Abubakar, former Head of Accounts; Stephen Kwabena Gyamfi, former Regional Director for Koforidua; Prince Awuku, a District Director; and Jacob Yawson, Management Information Systems Administrator in the Northern Region.

    The remaining two suspects have not been revealed by the A-G as they are yet to be formally identified.

    A whopping GHC548,333,542.65 was lost to the criminal enterprise perpetrated by executives, directors, and staff at the National Service Authority (NSA).

    Providing a breakdown during a press briefing, the A-G stated that “In the 2022/2023 service year, 350,926,977.12 was lost to the state. For the 2023/2024 service year, 32,881, 157.07 was lost to the republic.”

    He further added, “The criminal enterprise that resulted in the loss of this colossal loss of sum of money involved the creation of ghost names in the NSA payroll system by some directors and staff, which was subsequently exploited to misappropriate state funds for their gain.”

    Former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Gifty Oware-Mensah, has been named as one of the suspects that will be charged and prosecuted.

    Former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Gifty Oware-Mensah, was released by the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) after being questioned in connection with an ongoing probe into the ghost names scandal at the NSA in March.

    Gifty Oware-Mensah was arrested on March 7,  following her return to Ghana on March 5 after being named a suspect in  ongoing probe into a ghost-name scandal after the release of an investigation by The Fourth Estate.

    The Fourth Estate’s investigation has exposed major payroll irregularities, including the fraudulent use of “ghost names” to inflate the payroll and divert funds. It revealed that officials bypassed mandatory validation processes, enabling thousands of nonexistent individuals to be added to the payroll. 

    In some cases, names were duplicated multiple times, with one appearing as many as 226 times. Among the falsely listed beneficiaries was a 72-year-old Kenyan, Kwame Donkor, along with other foreign nationals.

    Investigators identified 81,885 “ghost” names used to siphon state resources.

    Consequently, President John Dramani Mahama, in his first State of the Nation Address, directed law enforcement agencies to take firm action against those implicated.

    This has led to intensified investigations and a series of arrests. Aside from Gifty Oware-Mensah, former Deputy Director of Operations at NSA,  Kwaku Ohene Gyan was arrested on February 22, and subsequently released.

  • Adaklu MP fears law on ‘wee’ will be abused 

    Member of Parliament for Adaklu and Minority Chief Whip, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has sounded a cautionary note regarding the enforcement of laws pertaining to the use of cannabis, commonly known as “wee.” 

    Expressing his concerns, Agbodza warned that the legislation might be susceptible to abuse, necessitating a careful and balanced approach to its implementation.

    “And that anybody caught using cannabis for recreational purposes on the belief that it has been legalized will only be putting themselves in trouble,” he said.

    On Thursday, a Legislative Instrument brought forth by the government through the Interior Minister reached maturity. This legislative tool will bring into effect the previously enacted law legalizing the utilization of cannabis for industrial and medicinal purposes.

    Chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee, Dr Dominic Ayine, emphasized that Parliament has not approved legislation to legalize cannabis for recreational purposes.

    “And none of you is talking about the potential of abuse and how that can degenerate into mental health problems we already have in this country. Why are we pretending that this is going to solve our problem? Minister? Do you even know how many people in this country are smoking weed?” he quizzed.

    “Even electricity that the sources we produce we are known, we are unable to police the amount of electricity we produce in this country. You are not talking about giving license to people to produce weed. While I don’t have the potential of stopping this, the fact is that Ghana is blessed enough with gold, diamond and just recently we found E-Levy, none of them is able to save our country,” the MP added.

    Meanwhile, the new Vice Chair of the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, Sarah Adwoa Safo disagreed with Mr Agbodza.

    According to her, cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes will help Ghana economically.

    “We’re not talking about just a leaf in someone’s backyard, we’re talking about a whole industry that is been created. And if we have our fertile lands here, and we can grow and make sure that the right framework is in place, I don’t see why we can’t take advantage of it,” she said.

  • Ad-hoc committee probing censure motion postpones presentation of report

    According to reports, the eight-member ad hoc committee’s report submission has been delayed.

    The committee was formed to look into a resolution of censure against Ken Ofori-Atta, the finance minister.

    Despite requesting an extension to present the report today, November 2, 2022, Citinewsroom.com reports that the committee will not be able to do so since it has not yet finished preparing its report for presentation to Parliament.

    “We will apply to the Speaker for an extension of time to be able to file our report and the purpose of the report will simply be to continue the debate on the motion for the vote of censure and the report will be laid in Parliament hopefully on Tuesday”, a Co-Chair of the committee, Dr. Dominic Ayine had earlier said on November 18, 2022.

    KT Hammond, another co-chair, announced that the committee would have to present a draft copy of the report to the finance minister to ensure that his responses are properly captured before the full report is tabled before Parliament for debate.

    The minority in parliament proposed a censure motion against the finance minister on seven grounds.

    According to Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu the seven grounds included an allegation of a “despicable conflict of interest” in which Ofori-Atta was directly benefitting from Ghana’s economic woes.

    He also alleged an unconstitutional withdrawal from the Consolidated Fund, in contravention of Article 178 of the 1992 Constitution, for the construction of the National Cathedral.

    Haruna Iddrisu also told the ad-hoc committee that the minister had made illegal payments of oil revenues into offshore accounts in violation of Article 176 of the 1992 Constitution as well as misreporting of economic data to Parliament.

    He also alleged that fiscal recklessness led to the crash of the Ghana cedi, which was reported to be the worst-performing currency in the world.

    The second proponent of the motion, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, accused the Minister of deliberate and dishonest misreporting of economic data to Parliament.

    The Committee, set up by the Speaker of Parliament, is co-chaired by Dr Dominic Ayine, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolgatanga East for the Minority Caucus, and Kobina Tahir Hammond, MP for Adansi Asokwa, for the Majority Caucus.

    It also included three members each from both the minority and majority sides.

  • Vote of censure motion: Ad-hoc committee to submit report on Tuesday

    The eight-member ad-hoc committee probing the censure motion against the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to present its report to the plenary on Tuesday, November 22, 2022.

    This follows its conclusion of public hearing into allegations levelled as the basis for the censure motion against the Finance Minister last Friday.

    In his concluding remarks, a Co-Chair of the committee, Dr. Dominic Ayine announced plans to seek an extension of time from the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin to finalize its report.

    “We will apply to the Speaker for an extension of time to be able to file our report and the purpose of the report will simply be to continue the debate on the motion for the vote of censure and the report will be laid in Parliament hopefully on Tuesday.”

    KT Hammond, another co-chair, announced that the committee would have to present a draft copy of the report to the Finance Minister to ensure that his responses are properly captured before the full report is tabled before Parliament for debate.

    Seven allegations have been levelled against the Finance Minister by the Minority in Parliament, calling for his removal from office.

    The Minister is accused of conflict of interest, gross mismanagement, recklessness of the economy among others.

    The committee was given seven days by the Speaker to probe the censure of motion, which ended today.

    The Committee was set up by the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, chaired by Dominic Ayine and K.T Hammond.

    The fate of the Finance Minister will be known after the committee had presented its report to the Speaker, as to whether the censure of vote will go in his favour or otherwise.

  • Don’t confuse Contingency Vault with Contingency Fund – Ofori-Atta tells Minority

    The Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has told proponents of the motion of censure for his removal that they should not confuse Contingency Vault with Contingency Fund with respect to funding for the National Cathedral project.

    He said funds were taken from the Contingency Vault for the cathedral and not from the Contingency Fund as is being alleged by the Minority.

    Mr Ofori-Atta said these while denying allegation that he withdrew funds from the Contingency Fund for the National Cathedral project when he appeared before the 8-member committee on Friday November 18.

    The Contingency Fund and the Contingency Vault, he said, are two different things altogether which should not be confused.

    I have served with integrity and dignity – Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.#TV3GH pic.twitter.com/2cGwJbIcgM

    — #TV3@25 (@tv3_ghana) November 18, 2022

    “I did not withdraw funds from the Contingency Fund for National Cathedral,” he told the committee on Friday November 18.

    He added “The withdrawals were lawfully done from the Contingency Vault and not from the Contingency Fund as alleged by the proponents.”

    The committee dropped two out of the seven charges against him.

    This was after the Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC) which was called upon by the committee to testify on Thursday did not say that the Finance Minister authroiused  payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts.

    During proceedings on Friday November 18, Co-chair of the committee Dr Dominic Ayine said “…They also did not say anything to the effect that you gave the instructions with respect to that payment. On account of the evidence adduced which kind of contradicted  the evidence that was led by the proponent of the motion, the committee has taken the view that you will not be called to deal with this matter.”

    He added “…So in essence, there are now five grounds that you will have to deal with. Those are grounds 2, that is the unconstitutional withdrawals in relation to the national for national cathedral, then we have ground 5, 6 and 7 to deal with.”

    Mr Ofori-Atta appeared before the committee on Friday November 18 to answer the charges against him.

    In his initial submission, he told the committee that “I am certain Ghanaians will have amore balance view of what has led us here.”

     

  • Censorship motion: Ken Ofori-Atta insists on a fair hearing

    Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has asked the Minority caucus in Parliament to furnish him with documents that they will rely upon to execute the motion of censure initiated against him.

    This is according to the Minister’s lawyer, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, who made the request on behalf of Ken Ofori-Atta on Tuesday morning when the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee commenced sitting to hear the motion.

    Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko said the rules of natural justice and fair hearing required that the accused was not only heard but was furnished with the documents that formed the bases of the allegations made against him.

    He, therefore, insisted that the Minority, led by its Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, provide the documents to him and his client.

    The request was met with hesitance from the Minority, who appeared unprepared and insisted that the documents were already in the public domain and did not have to be tendered.

    Following a debate on the matter, co-Chairs of the Committee K.T. Hammond and Dr Dominic Ayine, ruled that the Minority presented the documents to the finance minister and the committee.

    The documents were then subsequently listed.

    Below are the seven-points for which the Minority want Ofori-Atta censured:

    a. Despicable conflict of interest ensuring that he directly benefits from Ghana’s economic woes as his companies receive commissions and other unethical contractual advantages particularly from Ghana’s debt overhang

    b. Unconstitutional withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund in blatant contravention of Article 178 of the 1992 Constitution, supposedly for the construction of the President’s Cathedral.

    c. Illegal payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts, in flagrant violation of Article 176 of the 1992 Constitution.

    d. Deliberate and dishonest misreporting of economic data to Parliament.

    e. Fiscal recklessness leading to the crash of the Ghana Cedi which is currently the worst-performing currency in the world

    f. Alarming incompetence and frightening ineptitude, resulting in the collapse of the Ghanaian economy and an excruciating cost of living crisis.

    g. Gross mismanagement of the Ghanaian economy which has occasioned untold and unprecedented hardship.

     

  • Televise investigation of Finance Minister – Sam George tells Parliament

    Ningo Prampram, lawmaker Samuel Nartey George has called for the process to investigate the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta by the 8-member committee formed by the Speaker, to be transmited by live television.

    Sam George called for this to be live on television given the huge public interest in this matter.

    “Mr Speaker, I will like to call for the sittings to be televised live given the nature of the matter.”

    The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin on Thursday November 10 set a committee to investigate the allegations made against Mr Ofori-Atta by the Minority in Parliament for which they filed a motion to get him removed from office.

    The 8-member committee, co-chaired by Dr Dominic Ayine and KT Hammond, lawmakers for Bolgatanga East and Adansi-Asokwa respectively, has within seven working days to complete its work and submit the report

    The Speaker’s ruling came after the Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament Alexander Afenyo-Markin challenged the motion of the Minority on the basis that the Finance Minister will suffer injustice if the House goes ahead with the application.

    Mr Afenyo-Markin indicated that the claims by the Minority were criminal in nature upon a proper scrutiny.

    To that end, he called for a fair hearing for the Minister.

    The Minority accused Mr Ofori-Atta of, among other things, personally benefitting from every loan that the government takes.

    But the Effutu Member of Parliament said “these matters, upon a proper scrutiny, are criminal in nature. The Minister should be given a fair hearing.”

    “If we go ahead with the application we will be doing a lot of injustice to our colleague. If this application is allowed it will be injustice and unfairness, the Minister wouldn’t have been given adequate time to prepare for his defense,” he stressed.

    Justifying the motion to get the Finance Minister removed, the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said President Akufo-Addo was not ready to sack the Minister.

    Therefore, he appealed the Majority Members of Parliament to support the move to get him removed.

    In his ruling on this matter, Speaker Bagbin said after announcing the formation of the committee that “The evidence will be placed before the committee. The Minister will have the opportunity to defend himself.

    “A report will be presented to the House, and we will debate that report.”