Amidu did a horrible job on Agyapa deal – Assibey-Yeboah

The Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu did a terrible job on the corruption risk assessment of the Agyapa Royalties Agreement, Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah, Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament, has said.

He explained that Mr Amidu lost focus during his investigations and rather paid attention to matters that were unrelated to the Agyapa deal.

For instance, he said, the Special Prosecutor looked into the area of the Airbus Bribery scandal which in his view, had nothing to do with the subject matter under consideration.

It is recalled that Mr Amidu asked the Finance Ministry to pause on the scheduled Initial Public Offer (IPO) on the deal until after his investigations. He, later on, said on Monday, November 2 that he has finished with his assessment of the transaction and has accordingly submitted his report to the president.

“The analysis of the risk of corruption and anti-corruption assessment was completed and signed by the Special Prosecutor on 15th October 2020.

“The Special Prosecutor in a letter with reference number OSP/SCR/20/12/20 dated 16th October 2020 conveyed the conclusions and observations of the anti-corruption assessment to H. E. the President and the Hon. Minister of Finance as a matter of courtesy before informing the public.”

“Two weeks is more than too long for this Office to continue withholding the announcement of the completion of its sixty-four (64) page report to the public.

“It is important that this Office has the freedom to discharge its anti-corruption mandate and keep the public informed. I have, therefore, decided to bring the facts of the conclusion of the anti-corruption assessment of the Agyapa Royalties Transactions by this Office to the attention of the public and to avoid the continued speculations on this matter,” he said.

Mr Amidu also noted in his report that former President John Mahama is the one described as the Government Official One in the Airbus bribery scandal.

The president has asked the Finance Minister to return the deal to Parliament for a further engagement on it.

But reacting to this,  an obvious livid and disappointed Dr Assibey-Yeboah said on Accra-based Joy FM Tuesday November 3 that “He was doing a corruption risk assessment on Agyapa and now he is talking of Government official 1.

“This is a corruption risk assessment on the Agyapa Transaction and he is also talking about the EIO Group.

“I think he hasn’t helped himself by putting up this horrible piece of work together.”

Meanwhile, Mr Isaac Adongo, Bolgatanga East lawmaker said on the same network that Parliament was not abreast with the right information before the approval of the deal.

“I think that we didn’t need to come to this. The minority had reason to suspect that this transaction was fraudulent and we were very clear from the beginning that even parliament was not seized with the right information to make a decision on this transaction.

“Don’t forget that what was brought to parliament for approval was essentially the agreement between the investment fund and the  Agyapa.

“So it was just simply that parliament was to approve the consignment of the future flows of royalties to this entity that has been registered in a tax haven. So that was the main focus,” he said.