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General News of Monday, 7 July 2014

Source: The Informer

Mahama goes wild: Wants offending ministers prosecuted

No longer prepared to countenance the Elvis Afriyie sort of disgrace brought on his government, President John Dramani Mahama is said to have vowed to deal with his appointees who are found to have engaged in corrupt practices, The Informer’s Flagstaff House source has hinted.

According to the highly placed source, President Mahama, among some of his plans to restore the dwindling image of his government, has asked the National Security Secretariat as well as the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) to continue with all pending investigations of corruption allegations and abuse of office leveled against his appointees, particularly Ministers of State, for onward prosecution.

“President Mahama is embarrassed by recent developments that had emerged from the Brazil 2014 World Cup in which various corrupt allegations have been leveled against Mr. Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, the recent-past Youth and Sports Minister,” the source added.

The source continued that, President Mahama, unhappy with reports so far received with regards to the Black Stars abysmal performance, as well as gross misconduct on the part of the Stars' management team, has instituted a five-member committee to look into all allegations raised, particularly, those involving corruption.

"Of great concern to the President is the allegations raised by Kevin Prince Boateng that some officials were demanding monies from the players. The President does not care whose ox is gored in his quest to fight corruption in his government, and will not hesitate to direct an onward prosecution of those found culpable at the end of investigations,” the source further added.

It said the President has received reports of how some appointees of his government are acquiring properties all over the place in the names of their wives and relatives; and has vowed to deal ruthlessly with them when such allegations are confirmed.

Asked for the identities of the committee members, the source declined but said with their track record, they cannot be compromised; and that they will be blunt with their findings having also expressed their disquiet about the high corruption perception leveled against the current NDC administration.

“Even before Elvis appears before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, the President has asked the committee to thoroughly probe him in regard to all monies received and how it was expended. I swear, Elvis will not be spared if found to have misappropriated funds that went to him,” the highly placed source pointed out further.

“In fact, the President is enraged with how his administration has been labelled with corruption; and will stop at nothing to have the corrupt ones (appointees) in his government prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others,” the source concluded.