Ken Ofori-Atta must be suspended over Agyapa Royalties Deal–Mahama

Former president John Mahama has called on president Akufo-Addo to suspend finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, over the Agyapa Royalties deal.

In a risk assessment report, the special prosecutor, Martin Amidu, raised questions about the deal, prompting President Akufo-Addo to direct the finance minister to resend the deal to Parliament for further scrutiny.

Speaking on Accra-based Starr FM, Mahama said: “Withdraw the Agyapa deal completely. No need for review. Ask the finance minister to step aside or suspend him but he’s been quiet on that. Give some sanctions on the finance minister. The report indicts the finance minister.”

Meanwhile, Ofoi-Atta has rejected accusations of corruption and impropriety in the Agyapa deal by Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu.

According to him, the deal is transparent and devoid of corruption.

“Prior to initiating the ( Royalties Agreement], MoF ensured to undertake all the necessary pre-requisite action required by law, from the procurement of transaction advisors to the submission of transaction documents to the AG and Parliament for their review, input and approval. This Ministry believes that it has been transparent from the onset.”

It comes after the Special Prosecutor argued that there was a reasonable suspicion of bid-rigging and corruption activity including the potential for illicit financial flows and money laundering in the process that led to the selection of the Transaction Advisor(s) in the Agyapa deal.