NDC to ‘expose’ Ofori-Atta over shares in government bonds

A senior member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Abraham Amaliba has served notice that his party is readying pieces of evidence on government’s borrowings and bonds floated in the past five years and what percentages have gone to the Finance Minister alone.

Abraham Amaliba, speaking on TV3’s New Day show on Friday, April 1, said Ken Ofori-Atta has no locus to talk about “burden-sharing” given how he benefits from bonds floated by the country on the international market.

Mr. Amaliba alleges that each time the government floats bonds, Mr. Ofori-Atta gets 1 percent but uses his Databank to front such deals.

“Once again, they are going to roll out a bond,” the member of the NDC legal team hinted.

“Ken Ofori-Atta will get 1 percent as usual using his Databank transaction adviser. We are coming out with details of all the borrowings and what has gone to him.”

Mr. Amaliba said the way to “burden-share” as the Finance Minister “is to bring all the loot onto the table, then we share to each other”.

“That’s when we will now burden-share.”

He accused the government of “stealing” from the people with the introduction of the Electronic Transfer Levy Bill and the rush by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to sign the bill into law despite a case at the Supreme Court is evidence enough.

But a Government Spokesperson on Governance and Security, Palgrave Boakye Danquah, who was also on the programme, justified President Akufo-Addo’s move on Thursday, saying there is no injunction placed on the Bill.

Akufo-Addo assents to e-levy bill; it’s now law
“Once Parliament has approved a bill, the final stage is for the President to assent to the bill.”

He added: “Persons who have contrary view in terms of the interpretation of the law will go to the Supreme Court. The Minority’s case has just been filed, there is no injunction.”