Akufo-Addo never used state vehicles – Karbo

The flagbearer of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the 2016 elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo never used state vehicles while out of government, a Deputy Communications Director of the party has told Morning Starr’s Kafui Dey on Starr 103.5FM.

Describing as “useless” a recent lawsuit filed against the former Attorney General by two concerned Ghanaians, who are praying the court to compel Mr Akufo-Addo to pay Ghc798,000 for using two state vehicles for 19 months after he left office in 2007, Mr Karbo said Friday that: “This case will get nowhere.”

“Akufo-Addo has never used a state vehicle; Akufo-Addo never lived in a government house, Akufo-Addo never benefitted from the largesse that public officers benefitted [from] so from that standpoint, I don’t know where this case is going to, and that’s why I completely call this case a frivolous and useless case because it has no basis.

However, National Organiser of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Kofi Adams, who was on the show with Mr Karbo and two others, questioned Mr Karbo’s logic by wondering how the former foreign affairs Minister could absolve himself from the usage of the cars even if he was not the one who personally used them after he left office.

Mr Adams wondered whether the two vehicles “drove themselves” into Mr Akufo-Addo’s custody.

“Plain lies. Never took anything under his name. Even as a member of parliament, never benefitted from car loans that were given to MPs. Akufo-Addo never signed for any vehicles for the office, Akufo-Addo never lived in any government bungalow,” Mr Karbo responded.

The plaintiffs, Alex Doe and George Spencer Quaye, who are members of pressure group Inside Ghana filed the case at an Accra High Court on Wednesday April 8, 2015 in an effort to have Mr Akufo-Addo pay the cost of usage of the two cars after leaving office to pursue his presidential ambition.

They are also praying the Court to declare Mr Akufo-Addo unfit to run for president by dint of his action.

In the middle of March this year, the group issued a statement threatening to resort to Court to retrieve the money if Akufo-Addo failed to pay after an ultimatum.

In the March 16 statement signed by the group’s convener, Spencer Quaye, Inside Ghana said: “Nana Addo must pay the sum of Ghc798,000 in the coming days for keeping state vehicles for 19 months after standing down as Foreign Affairs Minister in 2007 to contest the NPP flagbearership which he subsequently won, or face a court action.”

“Our investigations have revealed that Hon. Nana Addo used the said vehicles during his campaign tour in the NPP contest and again during the 2008 general elections.

“We find his conduct quite unfortunate, unprofessional, putrid and unpardonable,” the group said.

According to the statement, “This singular act of his is synonymous to corruption and stealing from the public purse, and as a pressure group, failure to take up this challenge will be tantamount to dereliction of our duty as good citizens of the nation.”

The group said after stepping down from office in July 2007, the former Attorney general “failed to hand over his 2 official 4×4 vehicles he was using at the time as a Minister and took them home.”

“Our investigation points to the fact that Hon Nana Akufo Addo did not only keep the two 4×4 vehicles in his custody but used them during his campaign tour for close to 2 years, returning them in February, 2009, 2 months after losing the 2008 general elections.

“The said vehicles are: a Nissan Patrol with registration number GT 5621 T and a Toyota Land Cruiser GT 1983 X. Documents available to Inside Ghana indicate the vehicles were returned in a bad state with the Nissan Patrol having a battery discharge problem while the Toyota Land Cruiser had faulty starter brushes, which were both repaired at the expense of the taxpayer.

“We are therefore by this press release urging him to settle the above mentioned amount to the State as cost for keeping (hiring) the 2 vehicles at a cost of $200/day for each vehicle for 19 months at an exchange rate of GHS 3.5.

“Inside Ghana urges Hon Nana Akufo Addo to treat this as urgent and take immediate steps to settle the State or face a civil court action,” the group added.

It stated that: “We would also like to assure well-meaning Ghanaians that all ex-Ministers who engaged in this malodorous conduct in the erstwhile administration will be exposed in the coming weeks and face similar consequence. Our ongoing investigations are startling and show an appalling abuse of State resources by government appointees long after they have left office. We commend OccupyGhana for beginning this fight and call on other civil society organisations and pressure groups to join us in the fight against corruption and abuse of State resources by government appointees long after they have left office.”

Inside Ghana’s legal suit against Mr Akufo-Addo comes on the heels of a similar court action initiated by pressure group OccupyGhana against former Energy Minister Dr Joseph Oteng-Adjei who also recently returned his official 4x4 state vehicle after keeping it for several months after leaving office.

OccupyGhana is praying the Court to compel the former Environment, Science and Technology Minister to cough up about Gh¢383,000 to the state for the 222 days that he kept the luxury vehicle meant for rural electrification projects.

According to the suit filed on March 12 at an Accra Fast Track High Court, the group is demanding $500 for each day that Dr. Oteng-Adjei kept the vehicle.

Dr. Oteng-Adjei returned the vehicle on February 24, 2015 after former Deputy Energy Minister K T Hammond blew the whistle on him. Meanwhile Mr Akufo-Addo’s Spokesperson, Mustapha Hamid told on Wednesday that the suit against his boss is part of efforts to frustrate his presidential ambition as well as equalise with the OccupyGhana lawsuit.