“…they could have asked for all these things at the committee level but beyond that there is no responsible country, anywhere in the world that publishes invoices of military transactions especially if it will spell out all the features of the facility. If this is done, it will inform our enemies in case of attack…Hon. Atta Akyea can meet with the Defence committee and share documents secretly, but we are not going to publish all of these details out there for the whole world to see, that will be very irresponsible on our part…,” Okudjeto added.
But Hon Atta Akyea sharply disagrees.
“What prevents Mr. Okudjeto Ablakwa from bringing the actual invoice from the manufacturer which will silence everybody? What is preventing that? Even if the opposition has lied, can’t the manufacturer come out to say this is the basic price and here is the pro forma invoice? This…should not be like a hide and seek affair. It is of public interest…there is nothing special about publishing the prices of the basics. What goes into the military technicalities and gadgets is what could be hidden. So if you get the basics right then you will shut up anyone who will say that the prices have been inflated…,” the Abuakwa South MP said.
The Minority in Parliament only last week approved the purchase of four other aircraft but abstained from approving the purchase agreement of the Embraer 190 raising doubts about the credibility of the $105 million aircraft.
But the Majority side, convinced about the sanctity of the deal, went ahead to approve it and its members have since not missed the opportunity to defend the necessity of purchasing the five aircraft.
More: