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General News of Friday, 12 December 2003

Source: Independent

Apraku's Accusers Indicted!

In a bizarre paradox of a situation, the men who accused Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, the Minister of Regional Cooperation and NEPAD of financial impropriety, when he was serving as the Minister of Trade and Industry have themselves been recommended for prosecution by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, according to the final SFO report on investigations into his stewardship at the Ministry of Trade and Industry has been cleared of any wrong doing, whilst two top management members of the Ghana Free Zone (GFZ) Board, Mr. K. N. Atuahene and Ralph Baffuor-Awuah, whose accusations against the Minister formed the basis of the SFO investigations, sources close to the Attorney General's Department said, are rather likely to be put on trial by a Fast Track High Court early next year.

Checks at the AG's Department show that the AG is done with preparation of the docket on the case, which is slated as the top most case for the beginning of year 2004.

Dr. Apraku confirmed in an interview that the SFO has informed him about their exoneration of him but said he did not have the detailed report of the investigations. He however hoped to get the detailed report from the SFO soon.

The Independent however discovered that the report has since been deposited at the Attorney General's Department, where sources say top officials are satisfied about the report on acts of malfeasance and negligence charges against the two top management members of the Free Zones Board.

How Dr. Apraku was roped into the entire SFO saga still remains a puzzle because it was the same Dr. Apraku who on 5th June and 20th August 2002, requested the SFO to assist in unearthing any financial malfeasance and negligence at the Ghana Free Zones Board during the period covering Mr. Atuahene's stewardship as the Acting Director of the Free Zones Board.

Copies of the said letter which were signed on behalf of the Minister by Mr. Kwadwo Agyepong, the Ag. Chief Director of the Ministry of Trade and Industry were made available to Acting Chief Director of Ghana Free Zones Board and the Auditor General's Department.

The investigations covered allegations that Mr. Attuahene without authorization spent over ?2.1 billion on renovation of his office building and over ?600 million on his bungalow.

Shockingly, the impression was created in a section of the media that Dr. Apraku was the one being investigated by the SFO and the Auditor General. That was after Mr. Attuahene had succeeded to impress upon the group of investigators that out of the ?2.7 billion amount, he (Atuahene) used ?30 million to buy fax machine, telephone and a split air-conditioner for the Minister's constituency office.

Within the furore that the Attuahene diversionary tactics generated, Dr. Apraku voluntarily gave up the key to the constituency office for the SFO to inspect where investigations by the SFO proved that all that Attuahene said were false.

The Regional Cooperation and NEPAD Minister was also accused of creating a campaign office in pursuance of his political ambitions, an accusation Dr. Apraku staunchly denied, yet his denial could not save him from the investigative lenses of the SFO.

It was later learnt that the tabs were against Dr. Apraku because some elements within the NPP, who thought the one time aspiring flagbearer of the party was overly ambitious, and therefore they (the party elements) used Atuahene and Baffour Awuah, who-purportedly- had bones to pick with Apraku, to spread all kinds of false rumours about the current Regional Integration Minister.

The Ghana Free Zones saga started some two years ago when Dr. Apraku was the Minister of Trade and Industry and also Chairman of the Board of Ghana Free Zones Board.

Mr. K.N. Atuahene was Apraku's Special Assistant at the Ministry of Trade and Industry in addition to his responsibility as the Principal Commercial Officer of the Ministry of Trade & Industry.

Dr. Apraku appointed Mr. Atuahene as the Acting Director of the G.F.Z Board, but directed the Serious Fraud Office to carry out an investigation when he realised that there were some fraudulent activities and financial malfeasance going on at the Board.

Dr. Apraku also directed the Auditor General to audit the GFZ account to uncover any financial irregularities.