General News of Sunday, 30 June 2013

Source: radioxyzonline

Gov't must stop provoking Martin Amidu – Kweku Baako

Political Pundit Kweku Baako Jr. has accused the Government of provoking former Attorney General, Martin Amidu, with a series of “obvious untruths” regarding the judgment debt sagas.

“Why the series of provocations?” Kweku Baako Jr. enquired.

According to him, comments made by Deputy Attorney General Dr. Dominic Ayine, Deputy Information and Media Relations Minister, Murtala Muhammed, as well as the governing party’s legal team member, Kojoga Adawudu, after the Supreme Court ruled in the Waterville and Isofoton judgment debt cases, have all been a source of provocation of Mr. Amidu.

The Supreme Court recently ruled unanimously in separate cases regarding Waterville and Isofoton that all monies paid to them by the Government of Ghana as judgment debt should be refunded.

Waterville was paid €25m while Isofoton received a little more than US$325,000.

The two companies claimed their separate contracts with the Government of Ghana were terminated unjustifiably, thus their resort to the courts for compensation.

Dr. Ayine, after the Waterville ruling, issued a statement to claim the AG’s Department offered Mr. Amidu support in his case against Waterville, Austro Invest, Businessman Alfred Woyome and the AG’s Department itself.

Murtala Muhammed, on his part, claimed Mr. Amidu was dismissed by Late President John Mills for failing to disclose the names of cabinet ministers he claimed colluded with beneficiaries of certain judgment debts in the payments.

Mr. Adawudu is also reported to have said on radio that Mr Amidu took away certain vital documents from the AG’s department thus frustrating the latter’s efforts to pursue claims against Waterville and Mr. Woyome.

Mr. Amidu has reacted to all the comments and clarified his position on each of them.

Kweku Baako Jr. told Joy FM’s news analysis programme ‘newsfile’ on Saturday that the series of provocations from the Government and the NDC is what has resulted in Mr. Amidu’s latest challenge to the Government to publish a letter he wrote to former Chief of Staff, Henry Marty Newman, in which he provided names and details about the cabinet ministers he accused of aiding and abetting “gargantuan crimes” against the state as far as the payment of judgment debts is concerned.

“Why do some people in government keep provoking him when they are not prepared to accept the challenge he throws. If you know you cannot accept the challenge, stop provoking the gentleman”.