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Opinions of Sunday, 1 July 2012

Columnist: Sarpong, Justice

NDC Fraudsters 419(Nining) Ghana. $17 million For 86 Cars?

Sarpong, Justice

A Pajero(GALLOPER) vehicle at a cost of $197,674.42?

It is really astounding how makebate Okudzeto Ablakwa and his perfidious NDC clueless administration are dispensing our hard earned money to their cronies in the form of settlement debts that is really 'pen-armed robbery' by educated thieves parading the corridors of power at the Castle. The latest in the long line of NDC settlement debt stealing scheme is the proposed negotiating of the $1.5 billion lawsuit by NDC to settle with a company by name African Automobile Limited (AAL) who the NDC under Rawlings administration contracted to import brand new 86 Mitsubishi Galloper popular known in Ghana as PAJERO in 1999 for distribution to local assemblies. How did a 17 million debt balloon to 1.5 billion dollars? Can you blame this company when NDC is giving money away in the form of settlement debt like a confetti during parades? Ghana has become a big lottery game and every company is trying to hit a bonanza.

The 2000 edition of the Mitsubishi did not arrive in Ghana until 2001 when NDC government was by then out of power and upon inspection by the NPP government at that time found out those vehicles did not meet the standard and specifications as ordered and refused to take delivery of these vehicles. Two of the reasons given by NPP government not to accept these vehivles were that;

The supposed brand new vehicles were actually not new and have been slightly used . According Mr Mpiani who was the former Chief of Staff of Kuffour's government,the vehicles were slightly used when they were supposed to be brand new. Even a Minister under the erstwhile NDC rejected three of the vehicles because it did not meet the required specifications, NPP could also not accept such vehicles. Another point raised for refusing to accept the vehicles was that,there was no adequate documentation covering the vehicles and therefore the NPP could not pay for them or use them. Why was Kojo Mpiani stuck on the documentation point, you may ask?

First, how did 2000 edition of 86 Pajero vehicles cost 17 million dollars ? If you divide 17 million dollars by 86, that means Ghanaians were being charged $197,674.42 for each vehicle. What kind of an SUV car cost almost 200,000 dollars in 2000? Folks, we are talking of Mitsubishi here, not Mercedes or Porsche SUV which even cost less than 100,000 dollars. How did NDC reach such an outlandish contract to pay $197,674.42 per vehicle including taxes and everything when at that time in 2001, a new edition o 2000f Pajero GL was priced for $40,790 and the most luxurious Pajero GLS was priced for $52,770? A 2012 Pajero 4WD SUV is priced, $70,890. Let us even assume that we bought the high end of the Pajero which was selling then for $52,770, how did we end up paying more than three times its worth? We could have bought 4 Cadilac Escalades with what we paid for one 2000 Edition of Mitsubishi Pajero.

NPP government under Kuffour administration was right to refuse these vehicles under a fraudulent contract signed between the NDC and the African Automobile Limited (AAL).How much of this money was going to be kicked back to some unscrupulous NDC thieves who colluded with this company to cheat Ghanaian Taxpayers for selling used cars to us at more than three times when it is brand new?

What is African Automobile Limited (AAL).? This is a Ghanaian company registered to sell Engines and Automobiles. According to information available on this company, it has between 11 to 50 employees with annual sales volume between $2.5million to $5 million.The owner of this company or the contact person of this company without a website is Mr. Alex Kojo. I didn't know Kojo is a last name and that says a lot about this company. Now this company is suing Ghana government for 1.5 billion dollars because Kuffour government did not go along with it to cheat Ghanain Taxpayers and instead of this NDC government standing up to this company, we have Ablakwa who has never signed a contract to buy even a Bicycle in his life before, saying this NDC corrupt ravaged administration is negotiating to settle with a company that failed to carry its end of the bargain by importing used cars for Ghana government when the contract calls for brand new vehicles.

"Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa told Joy News the ineptitude on the part of the erstwhile New Patriotic Party government has led to a possible $1.5 billion judgement debt to be paid to African Automobile Limited (AAL)." Okudzeto, the guy who never worked a day in his life before Mills gave him the Deputy Information Minister's post and has no idea how to even read and sign contract is calling the prudent NPP experienced People who know how to read contracts as ineptitude? If the milquetoast and bandersnatch Okudzeto wants to throw Taxpayers money away by paying frivolous settlement debts, we the Taxpayers are not ready to pay any more money to people of dubious characters for onward transmission to NDC People.

Let the African Automobile Limited (AAL) be aware that, we are not going to repeat the Woyome nonsense again and we have turned off the money leaking faucet that was dripping the coffers of country, it's too late for them now.

P/S It has now come to light that, this company has been paid half of the 17 million dollars original price they were seeking and Okudzeto is still negotiating to pay more, ei!! GHANA PAA NIE"? What did we do wrong to be saddled with these idiots destroying our country?

"Contrary to claims by Deputy Information Minister Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa that government was negotiating with African Automobile Limited (AAL) for a settlement and to beat down the amount of $1.5billion being demanded by the company as the cost of the vehicles and accrued interest, it emerged that government had already paid a whopping sum of over GH¢8.4million to the company as judgment debt.The first tranche of the money, GH¢2.5million, was paid by the NDC government to the company on May 14, 2010 and the next payment of GH¢2.5million effected two months later on July 16, 2010, whilst the last tranche of GH¢3.379million was paid on October 2, the same year."

Justice Sarpong

Houston, Texas

(CARDINAL of TRUTH)