?The Ghana Palaver? has traced two of the officials of the National Investment Bank (NIB) who worked on the documentation for the ?Hotel Kufuor? transaction at the Bank, but the two have pleaded not to be publicly named.

The two have also pleaded banking secrecy and confidentiality and prayed in their aid their oath of secrecy and confidentiality, which they swore when they were employed. They however conceded that if an independent or a Parliamentary inquiry is instituted with powers of subpoena were to be set up, they would have no option but to testify as to what they know about the transaction.

Our editor has actually met with the two officials, both of who have left the service of the NIB on account of the ?Hotel Kufuor? scandal, but are now working with two top banks in the city.

At the meeting with one of the two NIB officials at a secret location, our editor outlined the information, which this paper has at its disposal. The official listened ?with rapt attention? and when our editor finished, he said, ?Mr. Palaver Editor, I have a family. I have also sworn an oath of secrecy and confidentiality. You know I cannot comment on what you have told me, but I can also not tell you not to publish it?.

In his narration, our editor had told the former NIB official the fact that the name of the Company under which the NIB loan facility was processed was ?West Airport Hospitality Company Limited?; that the Company was at the time owned by the President?s son, ?Chief? John Addo Kufuor and his sister only; that the proposed name of the Hotel is the ?Golden Tree Hotel?; and that the amount of the facility granted by the NIB was US$2 million.

The ex-NIB official would also not say whether any political pressure was brought to bear on him in the course of processing the facility. He would only admit to having processed the loan facility and wondered how ?Ghana Palaver? had discovered his identity and managed to trace him to the Bank where he now works.