General News of Tuesday, 7 August 2018

Source: rainbowradioonline.com

Man who 'fraudulently' renegotiated deal for AMERI wanted for fraud

Umar Farooq has been charged with aggravated fraud Umar Farooq has been charged with aggravated fraud

Information gathered by rainbowradioonline.com has revealed that the man who represented AMERI in the renegotiated deal, Zahoor Umar Farooq is wanted by the Judicial Authorities of Norway for fraud.

It would be recalled that AMERI Energy disputed claims of meeting with the Energy Ministry to renegotiate the deal.

But reliable information gathered by our team has revealed the representation was fraudulently done for and on behalf of AMERI energy.

Umar Farooq, from checks done officially, claimed he no longer works for Ameri Group, though VG has disclosed that he still plays a key role in the sheikh’s private office, which owns Ameri Group.

A PR officer at the Sheikh’s office also confirmed this. He is, however, working there, said Ahmed al Baloushi to VG. In September, Zahoor travelled to Pakistan with Sheikh Ahmed Bin Dalmouk al Maktoum and CEO Maher Al Alili to further discuss yet another Ameri-related deal with Pakistani company FWO.



A government commission, led by Mr. Philip Addison, some few months ago concluded that the deal is fraudulent if Ameri does not come back to re-negotiate - or pay back more than USD 150 million.

The novation and amendment agreement was seeking to buy out the deal Ameri Energy had with the government of Ghana under President John Mahama and handed over to a third party Mytilineos for 15 years.

Ghana would have ended up paying over Ghc1 billion under the new arrangement. The joint committee on Finance and Energy of Parliament rejected the new deal because it had no signatures from the Attorney General and Finance minister.

Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko has been sacked from office by President Akufo-Addo with immediate effect.

A statement from the Presidency announcing the action said the President has directed Mr. Agyarko to hand over to the lands and natural resources minister John Peter Amewu.

The dismissal of Mr. Agyarko comes after the President was allegedly misled into approving the new AMERI deal which had been rejected by Parliament through an Executive Order.