By Iddi Yire
Accra, Nov 15, GNA – The Minority Caucus in Parliament has accused the Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, of mismanaging the Ghanaian economy and given seven reasons for which it brought a motion of censure against him, last week.
Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu told the Bipartisan Ad-hoc Committee of Parliament, set up to investigate the censure, that the seven grounds included an allegation of “despicable conflict of interest” in which he (Mr Ofori-Atta) was directly benefitting from Ghana’s economic woes.
This is because his companies received commissions and other unethical contractual advantage, particularly from Ghana’s debt overhang.
He alleged an unconstitutional withdrawal from the Consolidated Fund, in contravention of Article 178 of the 1992 Constitution, for the construction of the National Cathedral.
The Minority Leader alleged illegal payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts in violation of Article 176 of the 1992 Constitution as well as misreporting of economic data to Parliament.
He said fiscal recklessness led to the crash of the Ghana cedi, which was reported to be the worst performing currency in the world.
Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the Ranking Member for the Finance Committee, accused the Minister of deliberate and dishonest misreporting of economic data to Parliament.
The Committee, set-up by the Speaker of Parliament, is co-chaired by Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolgatanga East for the Minority Caucus and Mr Kobina Tahir Hammond, MP for Adansi Asokwa, for the Majority Caucus.
Mr Ofori-Atta appeared before the Committee accompanied by his lawyer, Mr Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, and Dr John Ampontuah Kumah, a Deputy Minister of Finance.
GNA