Akosua Manu, the Advisor on Gender and Social Protection to the New Patriotic Party Flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of repeatedly exposing Ghana to international scrutiny and reputational damage through corruption-related scandals whenever the party assumes power.
She said Ghana has experienced several high-profile scandals under previous NDC administrations that attracted international attention and, in her view, negatively affected the country’s reputation.
Akosua Manu made the comments while discussing the recent developments surrounding the AKSA bribery scandal and the conviction of former Goldman Sachs banker and former Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Asante Kwaku Berko.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, August 29, Akosua Manu linked the AKSA case to what she described as a pattern of corruption scandals associated with previous NDC governments.
She cited the GHACEM-Scancem controversy, the Mabey and Johnson scandal and the Airbus controversy as examples of cases that, according to her, attracted significant attention beyond Ghana’s borders.
“I have noticed that whenever this party [NDC] in particular comes into governance, international crisis hits. I remember in 2007, there was the GHACEM-Scancem scandal which took Ghana international and the outcome brought Ghana into disrepute.
“There was also the Mabey and Johnson scandal in 2010. Then there was the Airbus scandal, which Martin Amidu ran away from, which the current OSP came and took on.”
Berko was convicted in the United States in connection with a bribery scheme involving Ghanaian officials.
The Ghanaian dimension of the case has also been under investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), headed by Kissi Agyebeng.
In connection with the Ghanaian aspect of the AKSA bribery case, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, named five persons as persons of interest.
They are former Power Minister Kwabena Donkor, Francis Walkson Kwasi Dzafa, a former Technical Adviser to the Minister of Power, Solomon Adjetey Sowah, a Deputy Director, Lyndon Nii Mettle, Director of Tricorp Group Limited and Baffour Ankomah Brobbey, an employee of Tricorp Group Limited.
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