Yankey, others not cleared yet – Emile Short

Mr Emile Short, CHRAJ Commissioner The Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) says media publications suggesting that former Health Minister, Dr. Sipa Yankey, has been exonerated in the Mabey and Johnson bribery scandal are inaccurate. CHRAJ Commissioner Emile Short says nothing in the investigations so far supports such claims by Dr Yankey’s lawyer. Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Kwame Gyan explained that a procedural error in the case in which his client is implicated. Lawyers for Dr Yankey – who resigned to clear his name in scandal – say they have sought the opinion of a legal team in the UK who suggest Dr Yankey was unfairly treated. “The proceedings, as they were conducted and in so far as it relates to Dr Sipa Yankey, had very grave errors, particularly in view of the provisions of the code of conduct for barristers which places serious restrictions on the disclosures of the identities and names of persons who are not before the court as parties to the proceedings,” Mr Gyan said. However Mr Short said that whilst Dr Yankey “is entitled to seek legal opinion from any quarters,” investigations by CHRAJ into the matter – “will be based on the allegations and the admissions made by the company (Mabey & Johnson) in the UK proceedings that there was a fund called the Development Fund and out of this fund monies were paid to the officials mentioned.” The CHRAJ Commissioner said explanations by Dr Yankey and other officials mentioned in the scandal “will be considered during a formal hearing” which the Commission has yet to undertake. “It’s a question of the Commission looking at these explanations or these defenses and looking at the evidence in support of these defenses,” Mr Short indicated. Asked whether the commission has established a prima facie case, Mr Short said “well even if we have I wouldn’t tell you,” adding “that’s a matter I’ll keep close to my chest.” The CHRAJ investigation follows a ruling by a UK court that Dr Yankey and several other former government officials took bribes from UK-based company, Mabey & Johnson

M&J saga: Deadline extended for officials

Emile Short, Commissioner of CHRAJ The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has extended the deadline for some of the officials who were mentioned in the Mabey and Johnson (M&J) bribery affair to present their responses. This follows requests from the affected officials for more time to respond. Consequently, Messrs Baba Kamara and Kwame Peprah have been given up to Friday, November 20, 2009 to respond to CHRAJ’s queries, while Alhaji Ahmadu Seidu was given up to Wednesday, with Mr Ato Quarshie’s response expected by the close of Tuesday, November 17, 2009. The Commissioner of CHRAJ, Mr Emile Short, who disclosed this, said the decision to resort to the courts to compel the implicated officials to respond had been put on hold because of the extension requested and granted. He confirmed the receipt of some information from Dr George Yankey’s lawyers seeking to show that the former had not been implicated in any court suit. He added that all the government officials allegedly implicated were never arraigned before the UK court, nor were any charges preferred against them. The UK court could, therefore, not have convicted them, though the court, on the basis of evidence given by M&J, accepted statements by the company that it had set up a special fund from which bribes had been paid to government officials to secure and maintain their contracts. “Our investigation, therefore, is based on the statement by the company which the court accepted and our objective now is to determine whether the evidence given by the company is supported,” the commissioner said. “This requires laying hands on documents the courts relied on in the decision, but it has not been very easy to get all the documents. Efforts at getting those documents from the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of the UK are proving difficult, primarily because the issue boarders on trans-national crime,” he said. Mr Short said with trans-national crime, there was the need to invoke the Mutual Legal Assistance Scheme Agreement, an agreement of co-operation in the investigation of trans-national crime between countries that requires the use of a central authority in each country where these crimes have been committed and are being investigated. In the case of Ghana, the central authority is the Attorney General (AG), while in the UK it is the Home Office. Although CHRAJ has the court proceedings, and the AG has submitted to the commission all the documentation on the matter, it still does not have certain relevant documentation referred to in the judgment and a request has gone through the central authority of Ghana, the AG’s Department, through the UK Home office to the SFO in the UK. Mr. Short, expressing the difficulty in its investigation process into the matter, stated that if it had been a local investigation, CHRAJ could have compelled anyone to produce the evidence needed, explaining, however, that its jurisdiction did not extend outside the borders of the country and so it could not do that in this matter. He underscored the fact that the M&J case had been decided on a plea-bargain agreement, in which the company decided to admit to wrongs in return for a less stiff punishment, saying that such cases would not have any witnesses to testify, a situation which added to the difficulties. Meanwhile, CHRAJ is studying the rules covering a grant on the acquisition of tractors by co-operative and small-holder farmers in respect of a petition against the Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Mahama Ayariga and Mr. Ato Ahwoi. The two have, meanwhile, submitted their responses to queries from CHRAJ after petitions had been lodged with the Commission that the two used their positions as public officials to acquire the tractors meant for rural poor farmers. Mr Short said the Commission would come up with the next step to take after studying the agreement. Source: Daily Graphic

Mabey and Johnson: Mr.Miles Potter (Director D): The Man Who Paid Sipa Yankey & Co

EARLY THIS PAST Monday morning, Dr George Sipa-Yankey, who had resigned his post as Ghana’s Health Minister 48 hours earlier, was seen arriving in London.

Barely 24-hours earlier, he had had a row with the nominated Ghana High Commissioner to Nigeria, Alhaji Baba Kamara, over allegations reportedly made by him on radio that the later was the one who collected his passport to facilitate payment to him from M&J.

Sources say Kamara had not taken kindly to the allegations and minced no words in telling the troubled Yankey to go and check his records well before speaking loosely.

Shaken and under criticism from NDC party supporters, some of whom had earlier supported him but were now turning on him, Sipa Yankey decided to do the wisest thing. He flew the next available flight to London to call on his bank to call all records of his transactions within the period under review to be able to speak properly to the issue and to possibly meet the other man who could help refresh his memory on the scandal threatening to end his political career.

Unfortunately, Gye Nyame Concord can authoritatively reveal that the man who could have helped refresh his memory was not in London.

Mr Miles Potter, the Mabey and Johnson man who dealt with and largely paid a number of top Ghanaian officials accused of receiving bribes from the British bridge building company, and who is identified as “Director D” was no longer in London. He now lives on the Asian continent, sources in London told this paper.

The then fresh university graduate spent almost four years in Ghana in the 90s and managed to worm his way into the heart and minds of top public officials through the doling of ‘freebies’ in cash.

Those freebies transferred to various accounts in London and elsewhere are what the soft-spoken 56-year-old head of the British SFO, Richard Alderman (picture on the front page), now says were part of a deliberate bribery scheme put in place by M&J to corruptly procure contracts.

M&J, according to the Queens Counsel for the SFO, John Hardy, paid “a wide-ranging series of bribes” totalling £470,000 to politicians and officials in Ghana, with Dr George Sipa-Yankey, Messrs Amadu Seidu, Ato Quarshie, Boniface Abubakar Saddique and Edward Lord-Attivor allegedly travelling to Britain to collect various sums of money from bank accounts in London.

In the eyes of the SFO, M&J paid public servants modest sums which were relatively small in proportion to the commercial gain the company got.

What the SFO, however, stopped short of doing was to disclose the identity of the man it said oversaw the Ghana situation and whom it only identified as “Director D” in court.

Truth is, the late Danny Ofori Atta had a running battle with the young Englishman with an expertise in finance, who had been brought into the country to supervise the work of M&J and who was to rise as an executive officer to become a Director of the company after a successful stint much later in life in the Philippines.

According to the evidence led by QC John Hardy in court, on April 3, 1996, the late Ofori-Atta stormed the Twyford offices of M&J in London with a relative to meet with the Office Manager of M&J following his frustration with Potter in Accra.

The records show that the complaint from the late Danny Ofori Atta, a former kingpin of the EGLE party, was that he did not have total control of the 15 per cent commission due him and some of which should be shared to public officials.

Miles Potter, who was then in Accra, was not delivering on the bribes to him, the SFO suggests.

In the words of the SFO, Danny Ofori Atta had problems with Potter’s presence in Accra and did not believe Mr Potter was distributing “5% to the “relevant personnel” or “local personalities”.

Records sourced from M&J by the SFO noted that Danny, who is identified in the documents as Mr Ofori, complained that he had been sidelined by Potter, who was now dealing directly with other Ghanaians and that when he (Danny) was involved in the payment scheme of the total amount of the “15% commission the present difficulties would not have existed”.

This was because he had dealt with the situation ably in the past.

Again it was about Miles Potter on whom Danny wrote a letter dated March 14, 1996 and sent via fax on a “Danielli Mabey Ltd” letterhead marked for the attention of his wife, Mrs Margaret Ofori, in Accra to be passed on to M&J head office.

In the fax, Danny complained that “the situation in Ghana has been deteriorating gradually ever since Director D (Potter) came into Ghana.”

Potter according to the SFO had equally sent a “confidential memo” dated 25 March 1996 directly to Director B (David Mabey)) rebutting Mr. Ofori’s assertions, and detailing how it was that he had had a meeting recently with the only person who “can guarantee M&J’s position in this market”: Kwame Peprah.

All these disputes occurred because the Mabey family firm, whose worldwide empire is based on exports of steel bridges, had decided at the time in the word of the British SFO to “sideline” Danny and “to impose more direct control over the payments made to “local personalities” by” Potter “supervising and control from 1994”.

Significantly, after his stint in Accra, Potter was assigned a duty post in the Philippines where he successfully managed to change the fortunes of the British firm by bringing in more than a billion British Pound bridge building contracts.

The story on his Philippine exploits, which nearly marred the presidency of that country’s president, was captured in the following terms by the UK-based Guardian newspaper.

“A little-known family who became one of the richest in Britain have been accused of making excessive profits in an aid project, by building what their critics call “bridges to nowhere”.

A Guardian investigation has discovered that steel bridges costing more than £400m have been sold to the Philippines by the Mabey family, all secured with UK government-backed loans and grants. But many of the crossings, which were supposed to open up the flood-prone jungle terrain, have no roads to go with them.

The British construction company, Mabey & Johnson, owned by the Mabey family, has been handed virtually all the supply contracts for the bridges, despite being more expensive than its competitors. Accusations of corruption and overcharging are now being made in the Philippines. Mabey denies any impropriety, saying the allegations are made by rivals or are politically motivated.”

Source: GYE NYAME CONCORD

Obed Asamoah: NDC accusations of NPP corruption political gimmick

The National Democratic Congress' accusation of the New Patriotic Party government of corruption, especially about the findings of the Public Accounts Committee and the Auditor-General's report is "a political gimmick” Obed Asamoah, Founder of the Democratic Freedom Party has said.

In an address at the weekend at the inauguration of the Ho Polytechnic and School of Hygiene chapters of Tertiary Education Students Forum of the DFP in Ho, he said the Public Accounts Committee never sat in public and reports of the Auditor Generals Department were not made public during the NDC regime for the public to know the level of corruption of that era.

Dr Asamoah said corruption permeated the public services in successive governments but were ignored and said if voted into power the DFP would appoint an independent prosecutor to prosecute all corruption cases.

He said the formation of the DFP was the result of the imperative necessity for a new thinking and a paradigm shift in the Ghanaian culture of politics.

Dr Asamoah said DFP government would give full meaning to the concept of private enterprise, as it was the engine of growth and would subsidize agricultural inputs and create markets for the produce of farmers as a means of eradicating poverty since farmers constitute about 70 percent of the population.

He accused past governments of not protecting local industries against unfair competition.

Dr Asamoah said a DFP government would create a new region in the Volta region and establish a Technical University in the region.

He called on the TESFORD to educate the public about politics of lies, vilification, vendetta, violence and threats of violence.

Dr Asamoah called on the people of the Volta region to assess their interest and “adopt a policy of the pursuit of their interests and not commit themselves to the permanent service of individuals no mater the circumstances”.

”The NDC’s hope of coming back to power is a mirage, as the DFP will form the next government or any party that will win the 2008 elections will do so on the back of our party,” he said.

Manfred Nuku-Dei, Interim Volta Regional Secretary of the Party, said what most Ghanaians were looking for now was a viable alternative to the two political protagonists in the country and called on members and supporters of the party to work hard to win more people into their fold.

Wisdom Deafeamekpor, Regional Youth Organiser, said a DFP-led government would create a platform for the youth to play a central role in all government decisions.

The 14-member executive of the Ho Poly Chapter has Solomon Sefakor Deku as President, Seyram Agbogah as secretary, Ernest Ekor, Organiser and Saviour Afi Nartey as Treasurer.

The School of Hygiene Chapter has Samuel Sapatey as President, Cephas Zigah, Secretary, Peter Adamu, Organiser and Newlove Kpodo, Treasurer.

‘I Took Cash from Baba Kamara’ -Sipa Yankey

The toppled Minister of health, Dr George Adjah-Sipa Yankey, has admitted for the first time that he financially benefitted from Mabey and Johnson (M&J), a United Kingdom(UK) based construction firm accused of bribing Ghanaians officials under the Jerry John Rawlings administration.Mabey and Johnson worked in the country in the 1990s during the era of ex-President Rawlings when President John Evans Atta mills was the vice President and Chairman of the country’s Economic Management Team.

Dr Sipa Yankey, then Director of Legal Services at the Finance Ministry, however explained that the money (£15,000) he took from the company was not a bribe but a gift freely offered him for a job well done.

The money was paid into his London account.On or about 29th October 1996, Amadu Seidu, who also resigned and was a Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Roads and Highways, received (£5000 in his Woolwich account held in St. Peter Port. Guernsey and Dr George Sipa Yankey received £10,000 in his Midland Bank account at Hill Street, London W1.

Dr Yankey, who was convicted over the Quality Grain scandal where an American woman was given over $20 million to grow rice, told Hello FM in Kumasi on Saturday after his resignation that he was approached to do an arbitration work when the M&J Directors in the UM had problems with their local agent, Danny Ofori-Atta of NDC/EGLE party.

According to the ex-convict, Baba Kamara, a former Deputy National Treasurer of the NDC and High Commissioner designate to Nigeria who was the new local agent of M&J in Ghana, together with other officials, approached him for the arbitration work, an exercise he voluntarily agreed to do without a fee while serving at a ministry that was dealing with the corrupt British firm.The immediate past Health Minister said because the problem was so huge to the extent that it nearly halted the work of the company, he had to spend a number of sleepless nights working around the clock to ensure that the dispute was amicably settled.

The deposed minister stated that the company was excited when he successfully resolved the impasse and therefore wanted to show appreciation for his efforts by offering him money. Dr Yankey noted that because he did not charge any fee before undertaking the exercise and that he did the work with a view to reviving the company, he severally rejected the offer.He said at one point, Baba Kamara and some officials of the company came to his office and entreated him to accept something small for them as appropriate for his service, but he sternly refused.According to him, Baba Kamara following up to his residence one weekend and pleaded with him to accept the offer and that if he would not personally use the money, he could donate it to charity.

He disclosed that Baba Kamara, after successfully pleading with him to accept the offer, then asked for his bank account which he readily gave to him for onward depositing of the money.Daily Guide learnt that an amount of £15,000 which was Dr Yankey’s share of the Mabey and Johnson booty, was paid into his foreign account in the UK.Ironically, Dr Yankey who was forced by President Mills to resign over the weekend, stressed that he had never received bribe and that he comes from a decent family whose member would not stoop so low in that regard.

He said if he would ever be interested in receiving bribes, he would go for bigger offers and not £15,000.Emphasizing that he was a well-to-do man who did not live on bribes, he noted that he had a son who was a cardio surgeon at the New York University Hospital in the United States and a daughter who was a designer in Canada.According to him, immediately he assumed office as Minister of health in February this year, his son asked him to forfeit his salary and that he was ready to pay him $10,000 a month. Against this background, Dr Yankey noted that he had never taken his salary since he assumed office and that instead of even living in a government bungalow, he was rather staying at his own residence.

He accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of masterminding the Mabey and Johnson bribery scandal that led to his overthrow from office, indicating that his excellent performance in office was a threat to the NPP.Stressing that he would defiantly be back in government to serve the nation, Dr Yankey said he was ready to do anything possible to clear his name even if he had to travel to the UK to fight his case. He passionately appealed to president Mills to appoint Dr Benjamin Kumbuor, Deputy Minister of health as his replacement, pointing out that the legal luminary was a fine brain who could easily fill the vacuum his overthrow had created at the ministry.

Meanwhile, Francis Emile Short, Commissioner of human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), HAS TOLD Kessben FM in Kumasi that his outfit is ready to investigate the alleged bribery scandal involving some ministers of state and other government officials.He said even before President Mills referred the matter to them, his outfit had already contacted the British High Commission for some information regarding the issue so that they could investigate the matter.

Source:Daily Guide

Mabey and Johnson, Resignations are not enough

NEW. Watch live television from Ghana plus the latest Ghanaian movies plus OBE TV.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am "thrilled" that corruption has been exposed within our borders again, this time by powers far and yonder. Is it not a shame, that rather than we doing the job ourselves, we have allowed authorities elsewhere to reveal what this present government has always known?? Well, I strongly believe it is a shame and the players deserve no credit.

On Saturday 10 October 2009, Right Honourables George Sipa Yankey and Amadu Seidu became the latest victims in these turn of events. In short, we are told, they have resigned their positions. Ghanaians in our gullibility have commended them( the 2 ministers) for resigning and others have leapt to heaping praises on this president for tackling corruption. But let us look deep. Are we sure they deserve the praises we seem to be according them?? Did the government not know anything about this?? Did it have to send the Attorney General on a day trip to ascertain truths it(the government) has always known??

I am not certain the government knew nothing about it because it could have quizzed Chairman later President Rawlings for what he knew and the depth. Vice President John Evans Attah Mills, now President would have also known something about this too. To claim his ignorance of this issue would suggest two things; either he lied or that his eye was not on the ball and goes to suggest that his ability to do a better job is probably highly in doubt.

Instead, they wasted more tax payers money( apart from the cost to our country in bribes, loss of quality projects and probable loss of lives), for the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to travel to the United Kingdom for more answers. Perhaps, the AG, classed an "outsider" may not have known what the truth was and decided to hear things for herself. When they sent her out, they knew she would find the answers they always had. When she got back, we were told, there were closed door meetings between the Veep, the Chief of Staff and other close aides. See http://news.myjoyonline.com/politics/200910/36251.asp

I am personally of the view that the answers could have been sought by phone or video conference from Ghana and the cost would have been a third of what was spent for the round trip. This could very well have been done from the British High Commission in Accra. Even if this was funded by the SFO in the UK ( though I doubt it), it will still be a blot on our balance sheet somehow, in cash or in kind, one day.

The most troubling aspect of all of this is that, the government appointed people with doubtful ability, credibility and past and I am strongly of the view that Ex-President Rawlings knew what he was saying when he called those appointees "mediocre". After all, he was President at the time and a lot happened on his clock, though he is not prepared to tell and instead prefers to tell riddles and proverbs.

The president recently expressed full confidence in his ministers which to me was a bit disconcerting, especially when he knew that things could be heading disastrously wrong in his direction. Maybe, he did this as a politician, but this is an issue far too dear to Ghanaians and Africa for it to be toyed with. Leadership is difficult but once you ascend to it, you must govern and speak with care and a lot of wisdom.

Daily Post International, a Ghanaian newspaper also declared that Dr. Yankey is clean and claimed that was according to its intel. What an Intel that was! http://news.myjoyonline.com/news/200910/36237.asp

So far, 3 ministers have resigned from this government due to some underhand deals(Muntaka, Amadu Seidu and George Sipa Yankey). How many more are lined up to go?? There are others in other departments who also have questions to answer, including the current President and Ex-President Rawlings. They know a lot more than they are letting on and it is time we got some answers. No taking this lying down.

Here is what I think should happen; Ghanaians must demand of the government what it knows about the Mabey and Johnson issue. The government must not get away with a few resignations. It must explain to all of us what really happened and what it intends to do. I am not necessarily suggesting custodial sentence for those involved but I believe an explanation is good for us to plug the gaps in the tendering process. This is the first.

Again, if the court has seen fit that reparations be paid to the Ghanaian government, then it is only too right for those involved to also cough up money that was given them, for which reason, they stare into the political abyss.

Added to this, let's also see if due to bribery and corruption in this case, the projects (Mabey and Johnson's) delivered were late, shoddy or never delivered and whether they have resulted in the loss of lives of Ghanaians. In fact, was anything delivered by Mabey and Johnson at all?? It is all too easy to blame the police for accidents on our roads but it is also becoming increasingly clear that our politicians are equally culpable. If that is the case, then the courts must prosecute.

There are lessons for all of us to learn. Corruption is a serious issue that retards Africa's development. No country is immune from it, but it is how you go about it that shows whether you are serious and committed to tackling corruption or not.

In 1961, when Osagyefo Dr. Nkrumah's ( Ghana's President at the time) attention was drawn to corruption in his government, he began the dawn broadcasts, told it all and dismissed many from his government who were involved. This is what is laudable and a step that must be followed. This government and the others aren't prepared to "wash their dirty linen in public" but it must if it is serious about corruption. Ex-President did little or nothing about corruption, despite his pledge of zero tolerance towards corruption. Apart from Mallam Issah's jail term, nothing substantial was done about corruption. Those who commit crimes must pay for their crimes.

Thus far, in my humble opinion, it has not shown any will to honour its promise of fighting corruption "tooth and nail". It is rather throwing a "few dogs to the wolves" to appease the people. Not enough. The government must sacrifice a lot more and that may mean it goes all the way to the top.

In sum, we must do our "own house cleaning" and not allow others to do it for us, because after all, "The Black man is capable of managing his own affairs".

Kwaku Nkansah was the CPP Parliamentary Candidate for Offinso North in the 2008 Elections. These opinions are personal and do not in any way reflect what the CPP believes in. He can be reached at kwakunkansah@dkn4offfinsonorth.org

Source: Nkansah, Kweku

M&J largesse: Boniface Saddique received over £40,000

It has emerged that a former Works and Housing Minister, Alhaji Boniface Abubakar Saddiq, received over £40,000 in the Mabey & Johnson bribery scandal.

Even though hours after the ruling on September 25 in London, Boniface admitted to taking £500 from the company as a “gift” to further his education, government says he was actually “one of the highest beneficiaries” of the inducement.

A Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, disclosed this on Joy FM’s news analysis programme, Newsfile, on Saturday hosted by Kofi Ansah.

“[Boniface Saddiq] received more than £40,000 with the latest document that we have.”

The deputy Minister debunked and described as “laughable and absurd” press statement by the Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) that President Atta Mills benefited from the money paid by the company.

AFAG implied that part of the money received from Mabey & Johnson might have been used to sponsor his campaigns for the presidency.

“That is the lowest level of logic that you can come up with, and it is so absurd I don’t think discerning listeners would have to give that credence.”

Mr Ablakwa also denied that the president was succumbing to pressure to investigate the case, adding the president was the first to wade into the issue by instructing the Attorney General to investigate the court's outcome three hours after judgement was pronounced.

The president, he explained: “[Is]working according to the principle of fairness…at every point in time it is important to make sure that everybody’s rights are being respected, whether the person belongs to your fold or not."

Mr Ablakwa assured Ghanaians that the president remains committed in his fight against corruption and pointed out that there would be no attempt by the government to cover up.

He noted that the Attorney General, Betty Mould Iddrisu, went to the UK with Madam Rebecca Adzalo, a state attorney, and Mr Charles Akrong, an Executive Deputy Director of Operations at the Serious Fraud Office.

However, Mr Egbert Faibille Jr., Managing Editor of the Ghanaian Observer newspaper, said he was “disappointed” about how the issue was being handled, insisting that actions taken by the president so far smacks of plans to “cover up”, “unfortunately it will not stay”.

He downplayed the president’s directive to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the case.

Rather, he charged on the Attorney General to prosecute those involved in the case with the information he gathered from his trip to the UK.

Source: Isaac Essel

M&J saga: Government won’t accept reparation

Government says those involved would not be shielded The Government of Ghana has indicated that it is not going to accept any reparation from Mabey & Johson, a UK construction firm, in the bribery scandal. The company pleaded guilty at the Southwark Crown Court in London to charges of corruption and violating sanctions, paying Ghanaian government officials a total of £470,000 in bribes in the 1990s to construct bridges in the country. The court ruled against the company on Friday, 25 September 2009, and fined it £3.5m. It was also ordered to pay a £1.1m confiscation order and £350,000 in prosecution costs. Mabey & Johson was, in addition, ordered to pay £1,413,611 as reparations to Ghana, Jamaica and Iraq. But Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a Deputy Minister of Information, insisted: “Let me state unequivocally that we are not accepting any reparation.” He made the revelation on Joy FM’s current affairs programme, Newsfile on Saturday. Mr Ablakwa said former directors of the company who were involved in the scandal have expressed their intention to contest the court’s ruling. Meanwhile some officials in the current administration involved in the bribery scandal have resigned their post. George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, Minister of Health, and Alhaji Seidu Amadu, Minister of State at the Presidency, resigned on Friday. A press statement issued by the Ministry of Information stated that the President, John Evans Atta Mills, accepted their resignation with “regret”. The President has also invited the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), an independent body, to conduct investigations into the case. Story by Isaac Essel Myjoyonline.com/Ghana