General News of Wednesday, 27 November 2019

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Kevin Taylor names Sammy Awuku, Anthony Karbo and Perry Okudzeto in PDS scandal

Kevin Taylor alleged that Sammy, Karbo and Perry were behind Santa Power Limited play videoKevin Taylor alleged that Sammy, Karbo and Perry were behind Santa Power Limited

Kevin Ekow Baidoo Taylor, a social media commentator, has named three New Patriotic Party (NPP) members in the Power Distribution Services Ghana Limited (PDS) concession.

The three are the National Organiser of the NPP, Sammy Awuku, the Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Anthony Abayifaa Karbo and Deputy Sports Minister, Perry Okudzeto.

According to Kevin Taylor, Sammy Awuku reached out to his close friend Santa Baron of Santabaron Ventures and together with Karbo and Perry, they introduced Santa Power which was part of the PDS deal.

He alleged that Sammy Awuku, Anthony Karbo and Perry Okudzeto had shares in Santa Power Limited and it cannot be true that Philip Ayensu was the one who introduced Santa Baron to the PDS deal.

“They [Sammy, Karbo and Perry] had a meeting with Kennedy Agyepong at Movenpick Hotel where Ken Agyepong advised the trio that they should abandon any interest they have in the PDS deal,” Kevin Taylor said on “With All Due Respect” on Monday.

He added, “Kennedy Agyepong told them that President Akufo-Addo, his brother Edward Akufo-Addo (Bumpty) and the Ofori-Attas were greedy people and that they [Sammy, Karbo and Perry] should step away from the deal because it is going to crash.”

Background

The government of Ghana announced the cancellation of the PDS concessionaire over what it describes as challenges with the financial guarantee provided for the deal.

The decision follows a meeting between Nana Bediatuo Asante, Secretary to President Akufo-Addo, and Ken Ofori-Atta, the finance minister on one hand, and Kyeh Kim, Principal Deputy Vice President of MCC, and Kenneth Miller, the Resident Country Director for Ghana of the MCC, on the other hand, held in Washington DC on Friday, October 18, 2019.

Critics have chastised the current administration for not acting in the best interest of Ghana in the negotiation, and signing of the power concession.

There have been reports that some ‘elements’ within Government were scheming to take over the management of Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) after the termination of the PDS deal.

But Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah told journalists in Accra on Wednesday, October 23, that the Government of Ghana has never been negligent.

According to him, the Government of Ghana has at all times worked with Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in structuring this transaction in the best interest of Ghanaians.