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Opinions of Thursday, 25 October 2012

Columnist: Sarpong, Justice

Is President Mahama Hiding $170 Million In Swiss Account?

The "Citizen Vigilante", Martin Amidu, the former Attorney General under the late President Mills alleged recently that, President Mills wanted his Vice President then Mahama investigated and set up a committee of Enquiry to investigate the acquisition of aircraft for the Armed Forces negotiated by President John Mahama. According to the former Attorney General now dubbed 'Citisen Vigilante' Martin Amidu, The late President Mills, apparently shocked and suspicious of then Vice President Mahama's negotiations, set up a Committee, comprising Hon William Aboah, Mr. George Amoah and Brig. Gen. Allotey (Rtd.), to investigate the Processes of the Acquisition of Five Aircraft, including Embraer 190 aircraft and hangar to the Ghana Army. It is alleged that, the said investigation was scuttled by NDC officials who prevailed upon President Mills not to pursue such matter because it will be a disgrace to the NDC reputation and hinder Mills chance of winning a second term.

Now it is being reported that, our President and his wife are sitting on $170 million bonanza in a Swiss Bank whilst we are being told that we cannot have free secondary school education for our children because we don't have money to support that policy. How are we going to have money to support that policy when Woyome was given 30 million dollars, Rockshell which we originally owed less than one million dollars ended up being paid 85 million dollars and others are given money like manna falling from heaven for no work done. Mr President, 170 million dollars is not a 'chicken feed' and we need an answer whether you have any foreign bank accounts. The story below was culled from APN site.

"President Mahama and Wife Stash $170 Million In Swiss Bank Account – IMF Threaten To Cut Aid To Ghana"

There is a publication by one Pierre Wimhoven of the Associated Press News(APN)concerning President Mahama hiding $170 million in foreign Bank ccounts. In the said article the writer alleges that President John Mahama and his wife Mrs Lordina Mahama are hiding money to the tune of $170 Million in a Swiss bank account. It is alleged in the said article that, angry World Bank and IMF officials are contemplating to suspend aid to Ghana. According to Pierre Wimhoven of the Associated Press News(APN)

"A Transparency International Special Investigation report has indicted the Presidents of Zimbabwe,Congo DR and Ghana for stashing huge amounts of monies into foreign bank accounts in Switzerland and Luxembourg. In the case of Ghana, the World Bank and IMF is currently investigating the current President of Ghana President John Dramani Mahama and his wife Mrs Lordina Mahama for the embezzlement of 170 million dollars of loans and grants given to Ghana since 2010 and the deposit of these monies in bank accounts in Switzerland. The report states that between 2010 and March 2012, the late President of Ghana, President John Mills who died in July 2012 wrote private letters to the World Bank and IMF Heads expressing concern about the conduct of his Vice President and his Minister of Finance in the negotiation of loans and validation of major project finances .

In one of these letters the late Ghanaian President lamented as to how Mr John Mahama then Vice President refused to allow him to proofread or check documents and clashed with him when he raised objections . World Bank officials working with IMF investigators started noticing huge discrepancies and gaps in Ghana’s loan payments and realised that there were irregular payments between March 2010 and June 2012 and that some payments were missing, after a forensic audit, 170 million dollars were traced to a Private Bank in Zurich, Switzerland called DZ Privatbank .

Though the bank invoked swiss banking secrecy laws when asked to provide information, IMF investigators through electronic tracking found the accounts to be in the names of Mrs Lordina Mahama, the Presidents wife and John Dramani Mahama. These accounts were opened on their behalf by Credtio Privat Commercial, another bank. Why they used this arrangement is still a mystery. Recently The World Bank President was said to have made his feelings known to Ghana’s President when he met him at the United Nations General Assembly in New York,forcing the Ghanaian President to make a public statement pleading with the world bank not to cut financial assistance to his country.

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan, a close friend of the Ghanaian President has been secretly lobbying the World Bank to drop the case as its exposure could dent Mr Mahama’s chances of winning elections scheduled for December this year. v Pierre Wimhoven is an investigative journalist affiliated with transparency international and has written books on corruption in Asia ,Africa and is active in the setting up of transparent institutions around the world. He currently is a Managing Partner for Associated Press News based in Zurich, Switzerland. ..."

Is this really true and can the President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama address this issue or can we get Parliament to find out what really is going on? There are too many corruption charges hanging around Mahama's neck he has to address that issue before Ghanaians. The STX boondoggle that cost Ghana more than 300 million dollars without even one block to show for it was signed by Mahama likewise the purchase of the planes from Brazil where we paid more than the listed prices for those planes was also signed by Mahama. Is there a connection between the purchase of those planes and his brother Ibrahim's plane purchase coming almost at the same time? Did Ibrahim buy his plane from the same company we purchased five planes from?

INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW

Justice Sarpong

Houston, Texas

(CARDINAL of TRUTH)