GRi Press Review 04 – 10 - 2002
Peprah and Rawlings, who stole Ghana’s $5million?
Dr Joe Abbey & Kwame Pianim clash over statistics
Peprah and Rawlings, who stole
And, this
he did on the saga of the aircraft that Rawlings and Peprah got, the Gulf
Stream III, Presidential Jet. President Kufuor revealed that already $5million
of
The
question is to whom has the $40billion or so being paid? Also, HSBC Holding
Plc, the Financial Institution in the middle of the controversial deal is
currently facing serious investigation in
With the
actual ownership of the small but scandal rigged aircraft still a stealth
riddle, fingers remained pointed at the two main Ghanaian players-The Finance
Minister who struck the deal and the President who was meant to benefit from
it, namely Kwame Peprah and Jerry John Rawlings.
There is
great suspicion that the two men might have gotten their fingers a little too
sticky with this. Exactly a year ago, “The Statesman” reported that Kwame
Peprah told the Serious Fraud Office investigators that former President
Rawlings was the source of the deal and the person “who first disclosed the
existence of the jet and recommend its acquisition.”
The
admission implies that in any subsequent prosecution, both the former President
and his Finance Minister, whose deputy, Victor Salomey is already languishing
in jail, would appear to be the usual suspects.
President
Kufuor told millions of Ghanaians at yesterday’s press conference held at the
castle that “somehow, the lessees (of the jet) arranged for the payment on
lease” by the Ghana Government to the lesser, Gallen Limited, through an
account in
Re-affirming
feelings of many Ghanaians, the President coolly stated, “we suspect fraud.”
Kufuor explained that the second-hand 12-seater aircraft should not have cost
more than $7 million to buy outright. Also, he suggested that the conduct of Mr
Peprah, who negotiated the deal, “has not been satisfactory.”
The
President with expression of bemusement on his face, wondered how Mr Peprah
could negotiated and sign the lease agreement on behalf of the Government of
Ghana and also on behalf of the leasing company, Gallen Limited.
This by any
business standard is most peculiar, to say the least. Some Legal experts “The
Statesman” contacted in the United Kingdom and Ghana are of similar opinion
that the best way to solve this puzzle and identify the true ownership of this
aircraft is to take the matter to the law courts.
Peprah’s
connection with both contracting parties is said to contain enough elements to
raise the possibility of a prima facie case and another summons to the
With
headquarters in
Serious
Fraud Office sources have revealed that Peprah had allegedly referred to HSBC,
a public-owned company not known to dabble in the aviation business, as owners
of the leasing company, Gallen Limited, when he was interviewed.
But an
extensive search undertaken by this paper drew a blank on Gallen being a
subsidiary as alleged. HSBC’s international network comprises some 7,000
offices in 81 countries and territories in
Also, when
contacted, HSBC wrote back to the SFO with an implied denial, directing
investigators to talk to Kwame Peprah, as he was “the best man to answer
question on Gallen.” A new development appears to offer clues as to how such an
allegedly fraudulent deal could have been facilitated by HSBC.
The Spanish
branch of HSBC (Economic podria multar of HSBC por mantener cuentas opacas een
Espana) is currently under investigations by the Spanish Commission for the
Prevention of Money Laundering.
The British
Bank is facing the threat of fines for keeping opaque accounts, supporting
allegations that some scrupulous characters to defraud Ghana of millions of
dollars could have used the bank.
The latest
revelation appears to confirm exposes by this paper, which has for the past
three year since the jet’s acquisition, maintained the suspicion the Gallen was
nothing more than a “shell company.”
The trouble
that investigators have faced centres upon the human faces behind the apparent
ghost company, Gallen Limited. True to its manifesto pledge, the NPP government
has refused to use jet on account of the apparent shady manner of its
acquisition. Recently, the “Accra Daily Mail” carried a comprehensive
investigative report, which threw further light on the mystery.
Rawlings
and Peprah may have some answers, which may bring this matter to an end.
Whether the answers would be given voluntary or through the authority of the
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Family
sources, who first gave the ‘Ghana Palaver’ the hint, stated categorically that
Mrs Asmah threw away the child, following a divorce with the father, a case which
had nothing to do with drunkenness or drug abuse.
Prior to
her confession at the public function last weekend, Mrs Asmah had stormed the
family house, raining insults and pouring curses on inmates of the house, for
leaking the information about the plight of the only child to the press.
Calling
almost every one, with unprintable names and accusing aunts, cousins, sisters,
brothers and all as “konkonsa” riff-raff, Mrs Asmah warned that none of them
should ever step in her own house.
At this
juncture, the son, Kojo Asmah (
“Indeed,
I’m prepared to appear on any of the local “FM” stations of tell my story for
the world to know you, as you are”, he added, with tears in his eyes. Still
unmoved by the sight of the abandoned child, she angrily asked his son” to go
to hell…go to Kufuour, if even you wish to do so”, she shouted angrily as she
stormed out of the house to the amazement of all present, including nearby
neighbours.
It was with
great surprise, therefore, when the same women, was heard “lamenting” over the
fate of her son and pretending to be worried. The question that obviously came
out was whether the son, was a drunkard at five.
Others
maintained that if the son had taken to any bad habits, then it might have been
caused through lack of parental care. In any case, the question is whether the
boy’s case is beyond redemption or if the family house is either a
rehabilitation centre or psychiatry.
Close
associates of the boy, however, maintain that the poor Kojo had either been a
victim f a broken home or “spiritual casualty”. And, it is cases, such as that
of Kojo, which have given cause to the creation of a whole Ministry of Mrs
Asmah to be engaged there, and paid from public funds.
It is
further being argued as to whether the best way of handling such situation, is
to abandon parental responsibilities. Many people, interviewed by the
‘Palaver’, have renewed their call for either the resignation or the immediate
removal of Mrs Asmah from her post, since she proved to be an embarrassment to
herself, the immediate family, the Government and the people of
“What a
great world it will be if all parents especially mothers abandoned their
children entirely for misdemeanours without helping reform them. It will help
create worthless ministries for callous mothers”, a clearly angered caller told
the ‘Palaver’. – The
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Sunyani (Brong
Ahafo) 04 October 2002 – The Brong Ahafo Regional Secretariat of the National
Democratic Congress (NDC), party, has expressed concern about the attitudes of
some of its members who are waging psychological warfare against the leadership
of the party.
Describing
them as political prostitutes, acrobats and detectors, the Secretariat noted
that and trying to sow seeds of discord among the party leadership. Reacting to
an “Evening News” publication of
According to
the story an executive alleged that the party at the national level, was
consideration a replacement from the national headquarter as the Regional
chairman, which has created some tension within the party.
However,
the statement stated categorically that the NDC as a party, has a credible
constitutions an laid down regulations that would be followed to elect an
equally committed chaired to continue with the good works of “our creative,
innovative, industrious, ingenious and resourceful leader” who lost his life in
the service of the party at the appropriate time with out creating a generating
unnecessary tension within the rank and file of the party.
The
statement therefore, advised such party elements to stop their psychological
warfare against the leadership of the party in the own interest because causing
publications, which, from all intents and purpose, were figment of their own
imagination, would not yield any fruitful results for them.
According
to the statement the major focus of the Regional Executives well as the top
brass of the party, a the national level, for now, was to plan and organize a
successful funeral for the late ingenious Kwadwo Maama Adam not the kind of
impression that the frivolous publication caused, sought to create.
It assured the numerous supporters
sympathizers and admires in the region and the country as a whole, that the
death of the chairman had not dampen the fighting spirit. “Precisely, his death
has rather converted our weakness to strength, differences to unity”. The
statement further assured members that “all these will definitely crystallize
into one formidable strength towards the 2004 general elections. – The
Evening News
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Dr Joe Abbey & Kwame Pianim clash over statistics
The bone of
contention centred on what some experts perceived as in-accurate economic
statistics churched out by the Statistical Service from time to time. The
occasion was the launching of the Ghana Economic Review and Outlook 2002
compiled by the Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA)
The
Executive Director of CEPA Dr Joe Abbey who was the lead discussed on the
economic outlook for the year 2002 made unsavoury remarks about the Statistical
Service, accusing the service of giving out wrong figure about the performance
of the economy.
He said
although inflation is said to be going down, Ghanaians should be told what is
actually driving it down. Citing the Statistical Service announcement that
prices of certain commodities dropped April 2002 Dr Abbey said. We need to know
what happened or what caused that”, adding “we need to make sure of the quality
of the statistics we put out”.
Dr Abbey
who was part of the Economic Planning team between 1983 and 1996 when Ghana
implemented the Structural Adjustment and Economic Recovery Programmes said
International Monetary Fund (IMF) has of late been complaining about the
quality of Ghana’s statistics issued by the Statistical Service.
In a swift
a reaction to Dr Abbey’s assertions, Kwame Pianim, one of the country’s top
economic brains called for public support for the Statistical Service instead
of the rush to crucify it. “Get worried when become cynical about statistics
from the Statistical Service,” Pianim lamented. He said if statistics from the
Service are inaccurate, it is not deliberate.
“We should
help to improve the quality of data, we need to make the process sustainable and
stop being cynical about Service”. Pianim who had Presidential ambition in 1996
said there is the need to make the process of data collection in the country
sustainable and of a better quality.
In a
reaction to a statement by Dr Abbey that the NPP enjoyed ‘Democracy dividend-‘
which reflected in debt payment deferment, grants and reduction of prices by
Ghanaian traders Pianim said the economy is not an autopilot. In Pianim’s view
the government could have mismanaged the entire ‘democracy dividend’ in which
case nothing positive would have accrued to the economy within such a short
time.
Dr Abbey
who could not contain Pianim’s response fought back to the podium and
emphasised his earlier point that what the IMF about statistics form
“Perhaps it
is not just a matter of cynicism but also anger,” he said adding I am raising
this issue for public debated, I am sorry”. An official of the statistical
service Paul Ntim who sat through the exchanges admitted that the performance
of the service is not up to expectation and urged government and other
stakeholders provide the service with logistics to improve their data
collection mechanism.
Economist
S.K. Apea, formerly of Ghana Commercial Bank and the
GRi…/
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