Kufuor Was Greedy

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By Livingstone Pay Charlie

P. C. Appiah-Ofori, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Asikuma-Odoben Brakwa has described former President John Agyekum Kufuor as a greedy person.

He said the greed of the former President showed when he hijacked negotiations for the privatization of Ghana Telecom without reference to the Divestiture Implementation Committee.

Mr. Appiah-Ofori was speaking in an interview with Radio Gold’s Morning Show anchor, Suhuyini Alhassan.

When asked why he thought that the privatization of Ghana Telecom was incompetently handled, he said “I don’t know, I don’t know. I guess it was just greed.” Suhuyini then asked “Would you say that the former President was greedy?” P. C. Appiah Ofori then said “I wouldn’t say no.” When pushed further he retorted, “I have said that I won’t say no. Why he was personally involved in the negotiations? Was it lawful for the President to be responsible for the sale of Ghana Telecom when the Divestiture Implementation Committee had that responsibility?”

P. C. Appiah Ofori said he stood by his allegation that some NPP Members of Parliament took bribes of US$5,000 each to approve the Vodafone deal. When asked if he still stood by the allegation, his response was “Have I retracted the allegation? I still stand by it and I have the evidence.”

Mr. Appiah Ofori said he was hoping that his colleagues would carry out the threat to take legal action against him to enable him come out with the evidence in his defence.

“They know that if they send me to court I will expose them. I have the evidence. I have the list of all the MPs who took the bribe. “I will not release the list because I know that if some journalists get it, they will use it.”

When he was told that Radio Gold would use the evidence “well”, he said that “Konkonsa” would be more than happy to publish the full list of the Members of Parliament who took the bribes.

“I will never give you the list because if Kokonsa gets it eeh, eeh, he will use it oooh”.

Source: The Insight

Mabey and Johnson/NDC Bribery Scandal - An Eyewitness account

By Lawyer Georgette Dede Djaba, LL.M London

The arrival to this world is never a problem, but the survival is the most concerning topic to human life. - By: Mugis Bamba More Quotes | Submit a Quote

6 October 2009, I attended the hearing and sentencing at Southwark Crown Court in London on Friday 7th August 2009 and Friday 25th September 2009 with some colleagues. The case had been referred from the Westminster Magistrates Court on 10 July 2009. I had been extremely astonished by the information coming from some of the Ghanaian radio stations in London, Ghana and especially some from officials, Government spokesmen and by the lackadaisical, uninformed and unprofessional attitude of some members of the NDC - denying taking bribes and requesting receipts for taking bribes. I was surprised that they did not dare to show their faces in court when this matter had been ongoing for over a year. After all, they did have representatives from the Ghana High Commission in the court room. The courtroom was packed on both occasions with seasoned journalists, lawyers, observers, interested parties, anti-corruption crusaders, representatives of NGOs and members of the public who came from various parts of the UK and from Ghana .

We heard the judgement. The Prosecutor, Mr John Hardy QC presented the prosecution opening case succinctly and without any malice. He stated that the company, Mabey and Johnson had pleaded guilty to bribery and corruption in Ghana, Jamaica and breaching UN Sanctions in Iraq . That was clear. The solicitors for Mabey and Johnson, Herbert Smith (a reputable firm in the UK ) were in court. They admitted that the Company had made some changes. 5 of their directors had resigned since the corruption was discovered and when some of them were taken to court. Under the Whistle Blowing Act, one of the directors admitted bribery and corruption and was counter-suing Mabey & Johnson. The current directors of Mabey & Johnson decided to self-report and plea bargain, rather than wait for the Serious Fraud Office to discover their discrepancies as the penalties would have been harsher.

Having pleaded guilty, there was no trial in the sense that no witnesses were called to give evidence, or believe me, we would have insisted that those individuals named come to court and try and deny the paperwork, their bank accounts that were in their own name and the paper trail clearly indicating the kickbacks that they gleefully took which for the benefit of those who were not at court are as follows:

The Prosecution stated that a summary of some of the fantastic kickbacks paid to the Ghanaians were:

1. Dr. Ato Quarshie (former Roads Minister) - £55,000 fifty-five thousand pounds (U.S. $ 87,420.69 - eighty-seven thousand, four hundred and twenty dollars and sixty-nine cents) He proceeded to cash the money straight away and arrangements were made for him to cash it at the bank.

2. Saddique Boniface (then a student at Exeter University in UK received £500 as his educational expenses) - plus £25,500 (twenty-six thousand five hundred pounds sterling) (Equivalent to U.S $ 42,120.52 - forty-two thousand, one hundred and twenty dollars and fifty-two cents)

3. Amadu Seidu (former Deputy Roads Minister) - £10,000 (ten thousand pounds sterling) (U.S. $15,894.53 - fifteen thousand eight hundred and ninety four dollars and fifty-three pence)

4. Edward Lord-Attivor (Chairman Inter-City Transport Corporation) - £10,000 (ten thousand pounds sterling) (U.S. $ 15,894.53 - fifteen thousand, eight hundred and ninety four dollars and fifty-three cents)

5. Dr George Sipah-Yankey (current Health Minister) - £15,000 (fifteen thousand pounds sterling) ( U.S. $ 23,831.56 - twenty three thousand, eight hundred and thirty-one U.S. dollars and fifty-six cents) – Dr. Sipa Yankey is the current Minister of health in the President Mills regime.

We were not told what actually happened to the rest of the nearly half a million pounds sterling that the Ghanaian Government officials of the then NDC Regime took. We were told that the President at the time (and the buck stops with him) was Jeremiah John Rawlings who came into power by way of a military coup d'état in 1981. (That was included in the official court record). And by the way, we should also be reminded that the Vice President at the time of the Bribery and Corruption scandal was our very own current Asomdwehene President John Evans Atta Mills. The total sum of kickbacks that the Ghanaians took was a colossal sum of £470,792.62. These corrupt officials opened accounts to facilitate the bribes in Barclays Bank, Watford, Barclays Bank Rickmansworth, Clydesdale Bank, offshore accounts in Guernsey, Channel Islands , etc. The court stressed that they were not “commissions”, they were actual bribes. The Company admitted they were bribes. The officials demanded and accepted between 10% and 15% of the contract valued. Mabey and Johnson did not lose any profit, they merely bumped up the contract price to absorb the bribes. That is clear!

Immediately, I strongly felt that the song by Sidney should be played in all the bars, night clubs and radio stations in Ghana "Africa Money, Oga dey chop am Nyafu Nyafu, Oga dey chop am fuga fuga, waa waa, Money dey work, baboon dey chop." and rightfully so. The You-Tube link to Africa Money is:

The Father of all corruption and his cronies have been exposed and believe me it is in black and white. Read all about it. I believe they underestimated Ghanaians, partly because they assume we do not read!!

It is the NDC that has taken the people of Ghana for a ride, preaching a holier than thou anti-corruption message, knowing very well that this case was in the pipe-line during the last general election. There are other cases pending. One of the journalists posed the question: Why did Biwater pay for the private school fees at Millfield, Somerset for the children of Jeremiah John Rawlings? The people of Ghana demand answers now!

An agreement had been reached by the parties in the case and Mabey and Johnson agreed to pay fines, reparation and court costs of £350,000. Total of the financial penalties against Mabey and Johnson was £6.6 million.

His Honour Judge Rivlin reiterated that if the Ghana Government was not prepared or ready to receive the reparation money, then it should be given to the Serious Fraud Office UK and perhaps be designated for Charity. Thinking quickly on my feet, I informed Mr Martin Quansah, prior to the end of the hearing, that it would be in his own interest to take instructions and inform the judge and the Serious Fraud Office that he in the court room (sitting quietly at the back), as a representative of the Ghana High Commission (he described himself as the Acting High Commissioner) and was ready, willing and able to accept the funds on behalf of his Government. He made some phone calls, [I am assuming to the President of Ghana] and came back and confirmed during a meeting which I had initiated between the Serious Fraud Office legal representatives, Herbert Smith, Solicitors of Mabey and Johnson. They thanked me and I further reiterated that the matter should be communicated to the judge to ensure that he included it in his judgement.

We were informed that the Serious Fraud Office was dealing with President Atta Mills' appointed representative, a Dr. Dodoo. So that was a fait accompli. It was non-partisan and the advice was free.

Conclusion:

It is clear by the Company, Mabey and Johnson admitting the serious offences of bribery and corruption overseas, based on incriminating evidence that this is not a matter to be taken lightly or swept under the carpet. We call for an Independent Special Prosecutor to begin the investigation of the corrupt Ghanaians named in the judgement.

It is now up to all Ghanaians in Ghana and across the Diaspora to decide what happens to the reparation money. Should it go to a designated charity and be monitored? Or should it go towards, e.g. a health, say a medical centre in the UK for Ghanaians. Why do I suggest this? At the time of going to the press, there were at least 20 deceased Ghanaians in mortuaries in the UK . Ghanaians living abroad and dual citizens are working so hard and often in multiple jobs, some manual jobs in order to send money home. Some are neglecting their health and some are unable to articulate their health concerns in a coherent language to the medics. Others just do not have access to an NHS Doctor. It is essential that these issues are addressed. The Ghana High Commission in the UK often complains that it does not have any money to solve the multiple problems that its nationals face in the UK . Knife crime and Ghanaian on Ghanaian murders are on the increase.

Please let us have a town meeting to discuss what happens to this money. Alternatively, it could be sent to Ghana and used towards scholarships or a worthwhile education, health or anti-corruption crusade. The individuals named should resign now or be sacked immediately. We say zero tolerance to corruption!

I rest my case.

Former Ambassador diverted $125,000 into private account

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Ghana’s former Ambassador to Japan in the Kufuor administration, Dr. Barfour Adjei-Barwuah, has been cited in a $125,000 scandal by the Ghana Audit Service after auditing the accounts of the Ghana Embassy in Japan.

Dr. Adjei-Barwuah is alleged to have diverted the money meant for two public universities in Ghana into the account of his private foundation, the Lotte-Bonsafo Scholarship Foundation. The money was a contribution by a Japanses chocolate manufacturing company, Lotte, towards supporting education in Ghana. The donation was in fulfillment of a promise made by the company during a visit to Japan by ex-President J. A. Kufuor in October 2002.

The report said Dr. Adjei-Barwuah, unilaterally changed the objective of the scholarship scheme, with the justification that he wanted to put emphasis on promoting primary and secondary education in Ghana. Thereafter, the ambassador claimed he made a proposal to Lotte for the scheme to be renamed Lotte-Bansafo Scholarship Scheme, with addresses in Kumasi and Accra.

The said on the instruction of the ambassador, the first installment of $25,000 was deposited in the missions Yen account on 17th July 2003, and later transferred from the mission’s Free Yen Account to its property account No. 941267210 in December 2003.

Then on 3rd September 2004, the amount was moved again, this time to the Property Fund Account of Bonsafo-Barwuah Foundation Account with CAL Merchant Bank Ltd in Accra.

The audit report drew attention to the fact that the action by the former ambassador to lodge public funds into the private account of Bonsafo-Barwuah Foundation contravened section 15(1) of the Financial Administration Regulation 2004, which states that “Any public officer who receives or collects public or trust money shall issue official receipt for them and pay them into the relevant public fund bank account within 24 hours.”

When the audit requested the former ambassador to comply with the Financial Regulation Law, he refused to transfer the money, insisting that he needed a special guarantee that the money would be spent on schools in his home town.

Source: Daily Graphic

Mills Meets ‘Bribe’ Ministers

Information reaching the Daily Guide newspaper indicates that President John Evans Atta Mills yesterday gave his four appointees who have been smeared with bribery allegation, the humble option of stepping aside while investigations continue or face the embarrassment of being booted out. The political appointees reportedly given the hard option by President Mills included Dr George Adjah-Sipa Yankey Health Minister; Kwame Peprah, former Finance Minister and current Board Chairman of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT); Alhaji Baba Kamara, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, and Hon. Amadu Seidu, Minister of State at the Office of the President. At a ‘marathon’ crisis meeting at the Castle yesterday it was gathered that the appointees at a point had one-on-one appointments with the President to tell their stories separately. The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Betty Mould-Iddrisu, has been tasked to probe the bribery scandal. The quartet, along with three others, Alhaji Boniface Saddique, former Water Resources, Works and Housing Minister; Ato Quarshie, former Roads and highways Minister under Jerry Rawlings; and Kwame Ofori, also known as Danny Ofori Atta of Egle Party-NDC, were cited in a Southwark Crown Court in London, which heard the corruption related case involving Mabey & Johnson, a British construction firm that constructed bridges in Ghana in the 1990s. According to Deputy Information Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the meeting was to appraise the President of the extent of involvement of the indicted persons, some of whom are currently serving in his government.Interestingly, at the time of the court ruling in London, Dr Adjah Sipa Yankey was with President Atta Mills at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA. Observers also say the meeting was hurriedly called in order to equip the Attorney-General, Mrs. Betty Mould Iddrisu, who was expected to fly out last night to London to request details of the alleged crime from the British Serious Fraud Office (SFO). President Mills, who had just returned from a hectic 10-day trip to the US, Venezuela and Britain, was slapped in the face, even before he emplaned back home, with the stinking revelation, which is being described as politically destructive. So critical was the one-point agendum that the President failed to attend the National Teachers Award ceremony in Ho, the first to be held since he took over the reigns of government.Daily Guide gathered that it look the President a hell of a time to get the ‘bribe takers’ to the meeting grounds as many of them reportedly switched off their phones and had to be virtually dragged from their homes for the meeting, which was held behind closed doors. It would be recalled that officials of the UK firm, Mabey & Johnson, at a London court trial concluded recently, confessed to giving various sums of money to some public officials in some countries including Ghana, to influence the award of contracts for its benefits. The officials told the court that in the 1990s when the company operated in Ghana, they doled out various sums of monies to persons who either were in government, or had the connections to influence decision makers to help the company win contracts in the country. Apart from former Works and Housing Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface, who admitted to taking £500 when he was a desk officer at the Ministry of Finance, with the explanation that it was to assist his education, all the others have remained silent on the matter. The British Court stated in its ruling that Dr George Adjah-Sipa Yankey, Minister of Health, took £15,000 as his share of the booty while Alhaji Amadu Seidu, Minister of State at the Officer of the President, Osu Castle, had over £10,000 and Dr Ato Quarshie, former Minister of Roads and Highways collected a whopping £55,000. Other NDC gurus mentioned in the scandal are Kwame Peprah, SSNIT Board Chairman and former Minister of Finance, who incidentally had served prison terms with Dr Yankey over the Quality Grain scandal where over £20million was paid to an American woman for the cultivation of rice at Aveyime in the Volta Region and Alhaji Baba Kamara, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria and former NDC Deputy National Treasurer. President Mills has since dispatched the Attorney General to follow up on the case in the UK to access at first hand, information on the development to help the government deal with the issue appropriately. “It’s true, I’m leaving tonight… I have an appointment with the SFO on Tuesday morning…Whether we will continue with investigations here (Ghana) will depend on the information I receive there. Whether it is adequate enough, it’s a whole lot, it’s a whole lot… I’m requesting for information from them… what I’m telling you is even confidential,” she said on Peace FM’s morning programme, Kokrokoo. Source: Daily Guide

Breaking News: Mills to ask implicated ministers to resign

Information reaching Ghana Pundit indicates that President Mills is expected to ask ministers in his administration who have been implicated in the Mabey and Johnson corruption scandal to resign until proven otherwise.

Stay tuned for more details.

A-G: "Gov't Will Investigate M&J Issue Only If..."

Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Madam Betty Mould-Iddrisu, says she is indeed embarking on a search for truth to the UK and has intimated in an interview on “Kokrokoo” that any further investigation the government conducts into the Mabey and Johnson (M&J) scandal, would be subject to the information made available to her by the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO). “It’s true, I’m leaving tonight…I have an appointment with the SFO on Tuesday morning…Whether we will continue with investigations here (Ghana) will depend on the information I receive there, whether it is adequate enough, it’s a whole lot, it’s a whole lot,” she said on PEACEFM’s flagship programme. According to Madam Betty Mould-Iddrisu, under the “Mutual Legal Assistance, the SFO in the UK is liaising” with Ghana’s Ministry of Justice, “which is the national competent authority” for that level of co-ordination. “…I’m requesting for information from them…what I’m telling you is even confidential,” she added. President, John Evans Atta Mills, on Saturday, directed the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General to “immediately” proceed to London to seek thorough information about the Mabey and Johnson bribery case to enable the government decide on the matter. This was after; President Mills, had held a series of high level discussions with government officials at the Castle, Osu, to find ways of dealing decisively with the M&J issue in which some of his appointees have been implicated. The Minister of Justice who declined to go into the specifics of what her request is, however, admitted that it is in connection with the recent M&J court ruling. Asked whether there is any substance in the report that she is going to bring down all the necessary court documents related to the M&J issue, Madam Betty replied, “let’s wait and see”. Source: Kwadwo Asante

M & J bribery scandal: Mills hauls accused to The Castle

President J.E.A. Mills seeks explanation from accused in bribery scandal President Mills will be meeting with persons named as having taken bribes in a bribery scandal involving a British construction firm. The meeting, according to Deputy Information Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is to appraise the president of the extent of involvement of the persons, some of who are currently serving in his government. A UK firm, Mabey & Johnson, at a trial concluded recently confessed to giving various sums of money to some public officials in some African countries including Ghana, to influence the award of contracts for its benefit. The bridge builders said in the 1990s when it operated in Ghana, money was dolled out to persons who either were in government, or had the connections to influence decision makers. That was to help the company win contracts in the country. Apart from former Works and Housing Minister, Alhaji Boniface Abubakar Saddique, who admitted to taking some money with the explanation it was to assist his education but not bribe, others such as Health Minister, Dr George Sipa-Yankey have remained silent on the matter – at least for now. A section of the public want those in government resign, but Mr Ablakwa told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show host, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah that those making the calls should hold their fire and trust in the president’s judgement. President Mills has also dispatched the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to follow up the case in the UK to access first hand information on the development to help the government deal with the issue appropriately. Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

President dispatches A-G to UK over M & J scandal

President wants more actionable information on M & J bribery scandal The President, John Evans Atta Mills, has directed the Minister of Justice and Attorney- General to "immediately" proceed to London to seek thorough information about the Mabey & Johnson bribery case to enable the government to decide on the matter. President Mills gave the directive on Saturday after holding series of high level discussions with government officials at the Castle, Osu to find ways of dealing decisively with the Mabey & Johnson bribery case in which some of his appointees have been implicated. He is of the view that although the Attorney-General, Mrs. Betty-Mould Iddrisu, already had some information on the matter, a direct meeting with the Serious Fraud Office of UK, other bodies and individuals involved in the matter, would provide more details about he case. Meanwhile, the president will would be meeting his officials who have been mentioned in the case for questioning Monday, October 5, 2009, according to a Deputy Information Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. The Ghanaian Times newspaper quotes sources as saying the President expressed worry over the matter and made it clear to those he held the discussion with, particularly the Vice President, the Chief of Staff and the Attorney-General, that he would ensure that all those found culpable were punished. "The President does not take kindly to the fact that some of his people have been mentioned in the case," the source said. Expressing his commitment to the rule of law, he said he would ensure that no one was shielded. President Mills, who was in the United States to attend the UN General Assembly when the story broke, swiftly ordered the A-G to investigate the matter. The directive for the A-G to proceed to London, on his return to Ghana, Mr Ablakwa told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show host, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, was indicative of the President's resolve to deal with the matter. He said the president is determined not to “prove the cynics - who said he could not do anything about the case - right.” The A-G is expected to leave for London today, Monday. On Friday, September 25, Mabey & Johnson Ltd. which appeared at Southwark Crown Court, London for sentencing in relation to the admitted offences of overseas corruption and breaching UN sanctions, admitted having paid bribes to some Ghanaian officials during its operations in the country in the 90s in order to win contracts. Those mentioned to have received the bribes from the British firm include Dr George Sipa Yankey, current Minister of Health, Kwame Peprah, a former Minister of Finance, Dr Ato Quarshie, Minister of Roads and Highways under the previous NDC regime. Also mentioned were Alhaji Boniface Abubakar Saddique, a former Minister of Works and Housing, who was then a student at Exeter University in UK, Amadu Seidu, a former Deputy Roads Minister and Edward Lord-Attivor, then chairman of Inter-City Transport Corporation. Source: The Ghanaian Times

Kwame Peprah speaks on Mabey & Johnson bribery

Former Finance Minister, Kwame Preprah The Former Finance Minister, Mr. Kwame Peprah, has expressed shock at an attempt by the British Serious Fraud Office (SFO-UK) to smear him with corruption, in its recent trial of Mabey and Johnson (M&J) over bribery charges.

Responding to an inquiry by The Enquirer as to how he felt about his name being mentioned in the M&J Scandal, Mr. Peprah, who was also a former Minister of Energy and Mines, said he was still at a loss as to why the UK investigative agency sought to impugn his integrity, when there was no basis for that.

According to him, “I really think it’s unfortunate that even though my name hasn’t cropped up to have received any money, my name has been dragged in, to the extent that they cite the ruling in the Quality Grain trial as evidence of a culture of corruption, when the trial judge in that case himself had stated that there was nothing like ‘stealing, corruption or embezzlement’ against me and my other colleagues in that case.”

On Friday, September 24, 2009: A Southwark Crown Court in London presided over by Geoffrey Rivlin, convicted British bridge construction firm Mabey and Johnson for intercontinental corrupt practices in their dealings with many countries, including Ghana, Iraq, Jamaica.

That decision sent shock waves through the length and breadth of the country, as some of the key persons citied in court documents, including Mr. Peprah, happened to be persons either holding public offices presently or had previously held top public offices in Ghana.

I really think it’s unfortunate that even though my name hasn’t cropped up to have received any money, my name has been dragged in, to the extent that they cite the ruling in the Quality Grain trial as evidence of a culture of corruption, when the trial judge in that case himself had stated that there was nothing like ‘stealing, corruption or embezzlement’ against me and my other colleagues in that case.”

But whereas former directors of M&J, whose conduct the court deemed to be criminal to warrant the conviction of the company, have been shielded from the public, by simply assigning letters to represent them, the SFO throws into its submission with careless abandon, the names of officials in the countries where M&J operated.

For instance, in dragging the names of Ghanaian public officials into the scandal and lacing them with a corruption tag, the SFO asserted among others:

“Dr. Yankey was subsequently convicted in Ghana of conspiring to willfully cause losses to state and served a prison sentence, along with Kwame Peprah,” continuing mischievously, that “Their convictions cannot be directly related to payments from M&J, but reflect the culture of government corruption at the time, a culture with which M&J was only too willing to engage.”

The SFO argument that the conviction of Dr. George Yankey, Former Director of Legal and International Affairs at the Finance Ministry and Mr. Peprah, reflected a “culture of government corruption at the time, ‘run contrary to the stated.

Source: The Enquirer

Mabey & Johnson: Statement By NPP Ireland & UK

We in NPP UK and Irelandand many of our concerned citizens in UK have been watching brief on the bribery matter that involved the whole NDC government machinery between 1993 and 2001 here in UK and in Ghana. On Friday, 25 September 2009, the British company involved, Mabey & Johnson Ltd, appeared atSouthwark Crown Court, London for sentencing in relation to the admitted offences of overseas corruption and breaching UN sanctions. The company was ordered to pay £6.6M. This is the first prosecution brought in the UK against a company for these offences.

Background
M & J, is a privately owned by a family company based in Twyford, Berkshire UK andfounded in 1922. It is an engineering company, supplying steel bridges all over the world, largely in the developing world. M & J had already indicated at a magistrates' court hearing on 10 July 2009 that it would plead guilty to these offences.

Corruption
The prosecution for corruption arises from the company's voluntary disclosure to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of evidence to indicate that the company had sought to influence decision-makers in public contracts in Jamaica and Ghanabetween 1993 and 2001. The decision to voluntarily disclose the corruption offences to the SFO was taken by the management of Mabey & Johnson's holding company in February 2008 whereupon an investigation was opened.

M&J and the bribery in Ghana

M & J conducted business in Ghana over a number of decades. John Hardy QC, stated in the Prosecution opening statement that Mr. Kwame Ofori, aka Danny Ofori Atta was influential with the ruling party, NDC in Ghana. In March/April 1996, he attended the offices of M & J in Twyford and complained that the M & J's office in Ghana was not distributing funds appropriately. Mr. Ofori stated that the situation had been deteriorating even more since a certain manager had arrived. The reality was that Mr Ofori was no longer any good and someone else had to be a conduit.Kwame Peprah, the then acting Minister of Finance and Chairman of the NDC Finance Committee was the new conduit. Baba Kamara, Treasurer and Minister of Roads and Highways, helped facilitate the contract. Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, wife of the then president of Ghana was a member of the NDC Finance Committee.Obed Asamoah was also a member and an influential person to know.

Summary of payments:

Dr. Attoh Quarshie (former Roads Minister) - £55,000 ($88,000)

Saddique Bonniface (then a student at Exeter University in UKreceived £500 ($800) as his educational expenses) but this is unclear as there is another paper trail of bribes leading to a Boniface Snr. It is unclear who Boniface Snr. was and whether it was the same Boniface who received further monies.

Amadu Seidu (former Deputy Roads Minister) - £10,000 ($16,000)

Edward Lord-Attivor (Chairman Inter-City Transport Corporation) - £10,000 ($16000)

Dr George Sipah-Yankey (current Health Minister) - £15,000 ($24000)

Dr. Attoh Quarshie, the then Minister of Roads and Highways received a cheque in the sum of £55,000 for "Contract Consultancy". Instructions were received to enable Dr. Quarshie to immediately cash that cheque. The prosecution reiterated how much money laundering was going on under then NDC regime. The court stated that Amadu Seidu received £5,000 - it was paid to an account in Guernsey. Boniface received transfers from M & J to an account in Barclays Bank, Watford. It was a feature of the NDC officials, the court was told, to travel to the UK and open bank accounts in London, Watford, Channel Islands, Guernsey, etc. The officials received kick backs (bribes) which were disguised as commissions/consultancies. They paid 10 to 15% of contract value. They inflated the contract price to allow for payment of 'commission'. The Company, M & J did not lose anything. They did not lose any profit.

As a result of theses bribes, M & J were paid £1.3 million ($2.08m) for Tano Bridge and £4 million ($6.4m) for the Priority Bridge Programme in 1994 and £10 million ($16m) for the feeder roads they constructed up to 1998. The contract values exceeded the sums set out in those contracts. Payments received in theGhana contracts were valued at £26 million ($41.6m). These bribes went on until the general election of 2000.

There was a paper trail of highly incriminating evidence where between 1994 and 1999, direct payments were made to Politicians and Civil Servants of Ghana. Government officials and individual politicians were paid bribes to the whacking tune of £470,792.62 ($753,267.20)

Sentence
Ghana is to receive £750,000 ($1.2m) with reparations of£658,000 ($1.05m) and confiscation order of£1.1million ($1.6m)

It is therefore up to us as a country to pursue the outcomes of this matter - the financial loses that we have incurred as against the corrupt financial gains the individuals and the government of the NDC made from mid-1980s till they were thrown out by the people of Ghana for a better government.

We call on the current NDC government of Ghana whose corrupt predecessors benefited from this to come forward to collect the reparation money and fines totaling over £1.4 million. The representative of the Ghana High Commission, Mr. Quansah, who described himself as the Acting High Commissioner in the court came unprepared and without any clear instructions from President Atta Mills or his appointed representative, Dr. Dodoo (whom the SFO have been dealing with). The Judge commented several times that if the Ghana Government was unable or unwilling to accept the reparation, then the money should be sent back to the SFO (within 28 days) and perhaps used for the purposes of Overseas Aid. The specific details were not revealed.

Demands

We in NPP UK and Ireland on behalf of all concerned Ghanaian citizens in Ghana and all over the world call on the government ofGhana

1. to instruct the Attorney-General to immediately secure a copy of the Judgement from Southwark Crown Courtand question those individuals named in the Court's Judgement immediately without delay.
2. to set up an independent Commission of Enquiry to commence an investigation of the individuals and businesses M&J in Ghana who profited or benefited from the bribes. They should refund the money or their assets confiscated and for criminal charges/penalties for causing financial loss to the state be brought against them IMMEDIATELY.
3. ALTERNATIVELY, Parliament should be recalled immediately and the whole committee of it or the Constitutional Select Committee of Parliament call the Attorney General to immediately institute the necessary investigation as directed by the President and call the A-G to the floor of Parliament to answer questions about Mabey and Johnson.
4. to ensure that the reparation money be used for a worthwhile project in Ghana that will touch on the lives and benefit the ordinary people in health and education under the supervision of an independent body to be set up by Parliament. This should be monitored clearly by the citizenry. to see to it that government officials involved in the matter resign IMMEDIATELY pending investigation into the matter;
5. We urge the President of Ghana to condemn such behaviour by government officials and let the whole nation know where he as a person and his government stand on the matter;
6. We believe that former President Rawlings, who is always preaching accountability, must himself state clearly to the nation what he knew and what his role in the matter was, including his failure to stop the corrupt officials that he appointed.
7. We also believe that the NPP as the main party in opposition owe it to the people of Ghana to mount pressure on the government to follow up with the recommendations in this statement and the many that other Ghanaians may have suggested. We should not let this matter go away quietly and pressure must be mounted on the President to sack his officials who were involved in this scandal. The National Executives of the NPP should therefore immediately petition the Govt. to institute the necessary investigation into the matter.

We also call on the media, the fourth estate of the Republic to continue to highlight the hypocrisy of the NDC government, former president Rawlings under whose watch this massive scandal of international dimension took place and to ensure that politicians are never again allowed to use our goodwill to align their own pockets.

We further call on all Anti-corruption NGOs, Christian Council, Religious organizations to raise their voices in protest against the NDC Corruption in this matter. Public Demonstrations should be waged as soon as possible in protests demanding immediate firing/dismissal of all those named who are currently in government. eg. Sipa Yankey, Kwame Peprah, Attoh Quarshie, etc.

Media Group

NPP UK & Ireland