Government is praying the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), to dismiss a petition on the $ 2.25bn bond brought before it by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Ashanti Regional Youth Organizer, Yaw Brongya Genfi.
Mr. Genfi petitioned CHRAJ to investigate the bond on grounds that the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, had attempted to “promote a personal interest for himself, as well as family and friends, which interfered with the objective exercise of his duties.”
A 17-paged letter from the Attorney General’s office, signed by the Deputy Attorney General, Godfred Dame, however rubbished these claims, insisting that “there is no evidence of any act or omission on the part of either the Ministry or the Minister supporting an allegation of participation in a business transaction or activity for the benefit of friends or family.”
It further clarified that “neither did the personal interests of either the Ministry of Finance or the Minister for Finance interfere with the performance of their duties and functions.”
“To the extent that the allegations made by the petitioner had the real tendency to negatively taint an otherwise highly successful financial exercise of great import by the Government of Ghana, we deem the petitioner’s allegations as very deplorable, since same are clearly anchored on blatant falsehoods and manifest unfamiliarity with the regulations and procedure for the issue of Government of Ghana Bonds. We pray for the petition to be dismissed as grossly unmeritorious and frivolous,” the letter said.
Read details of the letter here
Brongya Genfi in his petition made the following requests
Mr. Genfi also demanded that the following questions must be answered:
* Was a substantial portion of the bond purchased by Franklin Templeton Investments, if so, how much? • Is Trevor G. Trefgarne a Director of Franklin Templeton Investments?
* Is Trevor G. Trefgarne the Chairman/Director of Enterprise Group Ltd?
* Are Dr. Mrs. Angela Ofori-Atta, Mr. Keli Gadzekpo, Hon. Gloria Akuffo and Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta Directors of the Board of Enterprise Group Ltd.?
* If not, were they Directors of the Board in the immediate past?
* Does Databank Ltd. own part of Enterprise Group Ltd. or any of its affiliates?
* Does Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta have any shares or business interest in Databank Ltd. or did he have any shares or business interest in the immediate past? •
* Is Keli Gadzekpo a business partner of the Minister for Finance or was Keli Gadzekpo a business partner of the Minister for Finance immediately before the Minister was sworn in as Minister for Finance?
* Did Hon. Gloria Akuffo resign from the board of Enterprise Group Ltd. and, if so, was this before the commencement of the process of the bond issuance?
* Did Hon. Gloria Akuffo, as Attorney-General & Minister for Justice, have no knowledge of the bond arrangement and, if so, why not?
* Were the initial pricing guidelines of the Bond issued around 5:37pm on March 30, 2017, after normal working hours?
* Was the transaction opened around 9.00am on March 31, 2017, and closed around 4.20pm of the same day?
* Was the transaction opened before the announcement was made to the public? • Was the placement method used competitive and transparent or was it “cooked” for one single investor? • Did the Minister for Finance make full disclosure of his relational interest in the bond issuance either before or during the process?
* Did the Attorney-General make full disclosure of her relational interest in the bond issuance either before or during the process?
* Did the Minister for Finance adhere to the 1992 Constitution, the Code of Conduct for Public Officers of Ghana, CHRAJ’s guidelines on conflict of interest for Public Officers, and other relevant rules and laws pertaining to conflict of interest and issues of corruption?
* Should the Minister for Finance resign or be removed from office?
* Did the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice adhere to the 1992 Constitution, the Code of Conduct for Public Officers of Ghana, CHRAJ’s guidelines on conflict of interest for Public Officers, and other relevant rules and laws pertaining to conflict of interest and issues of corruption?
* Should the Attorney-General resign or be removed from office?
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