Peprah, Ahwoi refuse to answer questions at SFO, BNI

True to its threats, some leading members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) refused to answer questions when they appeared before the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).

The two in question are Messrs Kwame Peprah and Kwamena Ahwoi, former Ministers of Finance and Local Government respectively.

This was revealed in a three-page press statement last Friday and signed by the General Secretary of the NDC, Huudu Yahaya. It was on the denials of persecution by the new NPP government by some former public officials.

It stated: “The NDC has taken note of the statement of denial of NPP persecution issued by some former public officials following the NDC press conference held last Tuesday September 25, 2001.

It is understandable that some of these former public officials who were either threatened with the stick or offered carrots to resign or retire would issue pro NPP exculpatory statements which would seek to dampen the effect of the press conference.

Whilst understanding the stance that these former public officials have been compelled to take, we nevertheless stand by every word contained in the statement read at the press conference.

Ghanaians are not unaware of the climate of fear and intimidation created in the civil and public services since the NPP took over the administration of the country on January 7, 2001, reminiscent of the “Apollo 568” era of the PP Government in 1970, through threats f dismissal, termination, retirement and persecution. We are therefore not surprised that these statements of denial should be issued at this time.

In its desperation to to counter the damning effects of the press conference, the NPP government has resorted to a campaign of lies and misrepresentation of the contents of the press statement, with the deliberate intention of misleading the people.

Deputy Government Spokesman, Kwabena Agyepong, for example, falsely stated that we had wrongly alleged Kwame Peprah had appeared before the BNI, but our press statement never stated so. We stated that, “so far the former minister of Finance, Mr. Kwame Peprah, has been summoned to appear before the Special Investigating Task Force (SITF), the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) about 35 times in the past eight months.

NPP commentators and their allies have deliberately misrepresented us as having said that former ministers and officials would not appear before any probes. Yet the words we used were that “ex-ministers and appointees will no longer answer questions before the numerous inquisition panels and bodies.”

Indeed since the press conference, two ex-ministers, Messrs Kwame Peprah and Kwamena Ahwoi, have appeared before the SFO and the BNI respectively where they have exercised their right to silence.

With respect to the individual who have issued statements of denial, it would be realised that in case of Mr. W.K. Aboah, former Director of Ghana Immigration Service and Acting Commissioner of Police CID, there was no charge of harassment raised at the press conference. Neither was he described as an NDC member or dismissed/terminated/forced to resign.” We are aware of the circumstance under which he was made to retire, but if it is in the interest of his future plans to say that he retired voluntarily, we wish him well.

It is significant though that Mr. Aboah reached his retirement age during the era of the NDC government but did not choose to retire until after the NPP government came to power.

We are also aware of the circumstances under which Mr. Yeboah-Amoa, former Managing Director of the Ghana Stock Exchange, was made to retire, and we also understand why he must state that his retirement was voluntary. Again it is significant that he did not choose to retire or resign for the 12 long years that he worked at the Ghana Stock Exchange under the NDC Government.

In the case of Mr. Emmanuel Darko, the third person to have issued a statement of denial, the NDC says it stands by its statement that he appeared before a probe or probes. This was in connection with the investigations by the CID panel into improprieties associated with the importation of a Toyota Sienna vehicle by Mr. Victor Selormey former deputy Finance Minister.

Mr. Darko was, at the time of that transaction, the officer in charge of the schedule.

Against this background, “we should not be surprised to read some more denials in the days to come” the NDC said. But that will not in any way detract from the substance of our claim that NDC members, officials and some public officers who worked with the NDC administration have been targeted and are being hounded in ways that are invidious and vicious.

Fifty-four persons were mentioned in the annexes to our press statement as having suffered one form f persecution or another. Three denials have been issued so far, representing 5.5 per cent of those listed. “Our charge of witch-hunt remains unaffected by these denials.

“We believe that it is only the spectra of the 1970 “Apollo 568” that is haunting the NPP and that is stopping them from embarking on a wholesale dismissal of targeted public and civil servants and nothing can convince us that this is not the basic truth.”