Former President John Kufuor’s office has told XYZ News that his predecessor, Jerry Rawlings, must also be hauled before the Judgment Debt Commission over the sale of a drill ship belonging to the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) in 2001, to defray a judgment debt.

Responding to a request by pro-government group, Inside Ghana, for the Commission to invite Mr Kufuor and his former Attorney General, Nana Akufo-Addo, over the matter, the former President’s Spokesperson, Frank Agyekum, said Mr. Rawlings, must also, in like manner, be invited to account for the stewardship of former GNPC CEO, Tsatsu Tsikata, under whose tenure the Corporation incurred certain debts which necessitated the sale of the vessel.

”If we want to stretch it to that far, then of course we should say that President Rawlings should answer for the things that Mr Tsatsu Tsikata did because it was President Rawlings who appointed Tsikata as Chief Executive”, Mr. Agyekum argued.

The Discoverer 511 was sold for US$24Million to defray a US$19.5 Million judgment debt awarded against the GNPC, in favour of French Bank Societe Generale, by an English Court. US$900,000 of the amount was deposited into an escrow account to pay GNPC’s creditors and suppliers, while US$100,000 was used to pay legal services covering the sale transaction.

The remaining US$3.5 Million, which was deposited into an account of the Government of Ghana at the Ghana International Bank in London, on the orders of former acting High Commissioner, Chris Kpodo, still cannot be traced. Already former Energy Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah and his Deputy, K.T. Hammond, who both served in the Kufuor administration as of the time the vessel was sold, as well as former GNPC CEOs Tsatsu Tsikata and Dr. Quaah have appeared before the Commission over the matter.

Inside Ghana however insists Mr. Kufuor and two-time presidential candidate of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo, have some questions to answer.

Mr. Agyekum told XYZ News his boss has no problem availing himself of the Commission’s probe, if invited, but noted that the sword must cut both ways, if the argument of Inside Ghana is to be taken seriously.