PDS cleared to save Akufo-Addo from disgrace? - Lawyer quizzes

Private legal practitioner, lawyer Edudzi Tamakloe has suggested the team investigating the alleged forgery in the Power Distribution Services (PDS) saga has cleared the company.

The lawyer in a write up indicated he has gathered information that although "…Al Koot maintained that its agent who signed the guarantee had no authority to do so and as such the guarantee was void, the team of investigators have recommended that PDS should be given time to negotiate another guarantee in fulfilment of the condition subsequent.’’

The lawyer further noted in his write up that the team saw the need to clear PDS because they claimed the Nana Addo led administration would have been badly rated if the company had been found guilty.

"Even before the investigation was concluded, it was agreed by big men in government that if PDS is found guilty, it will lower the public ratings of the Akufo Addo government since almost all the Directors of the company have direct link to the President. According to sources, there was a covert arrangement to select people who would pander to whims and caprices of the government to deliver a verdict that would exonerate PDS.’’

Government in August set up a committee to probe the PDS saga and said it would be conducted in both Ghana and outside of the country is to help establish who made false representations to the government to drive it into the agreement.

At a press conference in Accra Thursday, August 1, 2019, the Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the probe was being led by experts from Insurance Companies, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Energy, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA).

He said they were to help the government to take consequential actions regarding the breaches of some parts of the concession agreement between the state and PDS.

“The inquiry will determine the nature of the breaches and advise on suggested next steps,” Mr Oppong Nkrumah said and added that by Tuesday [August 6, 2019], the team was expected in Doha in Qatar as part of the inquiry.

He said “all interested parties are cooperating with the inquiry”, noting that “A second team has been tasked to continue engagement with the American government through its agency the Millennium Challenge Corporation” and added that “This engagement is about the possible next steps after the inquiry and channels for sharing information as part of this inquiry. That team is expected to also be in the USA possibly next week as part of their engagement.”

Read his full post below

Has PDS been Cleared?

Information coming from the corridors of power indicates that the team investigating Power Distribution Services over forgery of an insurance guarantee that gave them authority to takeover the GHC22 billion assets of Electricity Company of Ghana has cleared the company of any wrongdoing.

Though throughout the investigations, Al Koot maintained that its agent who signed the guarantee had no authority to do so and as such the guarantee was void, the team of investigators have
recommended that PDS should be given time to negotiate another guarantee in
fulfilment of the condition subsequent.

Strangely, the team that was sent to Al Koot to investigate the forgery met management of the company and pleaded with it to reconsider PDS’ payment so they could authenticate the guarantee. The team said PDS was ready to extra charges if the company so wished. This request was however rejected by Al Koot since it had subsequently cancelled the request for the guarantee.

Even before the investigation was concluded, it was agreed by big men in government that if PDS is found guilty, it will lower the public ratings of the Akufo Addo government since almost all the Directors of the company have direct link to the President. According to sources, there was a covert arrangement to select people who would pander to whims and caprices of the government to deliver a verdict that would exonerate PDS.

When this was achieved, it was agreed that the backdoor approach be used to reinstate PDS pending its official exoneration by the investigators after 30 days. It has come to light that the investigators have returned a favorable verdict which would be announced when the President returns from his trip.

To assuage the feelings of Ghanaians, government, through the Information Ministry, has submitted an invoice to PDS to raise money to sort out party communicators and selected journalists. The strategy is to ‘kill’ the matter. It is believed that the vice President, Dr Bawumia, may not be able handle the issue properly, hence the decision to wait until the President himself returns from his trip.