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Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Ambassador Victor Smith, has revealed that some relatives of the embattled former finance minister, Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori Atta, have called him to secure his assurance of soft dealings should the former minister return to face his charges in Ghana.
Victor Smith on The Key Points, a weekly politico-economic and governance talkshow on a sister network disclosed that some family members of Ofori Atta called him to raise concern over fear of being manhandled if he submits himself, mentioning a specific name in the proces. “Asare Okyere Darko called me to raise a concern of fear of Ken Ofori Atta being mistreated when he comes back to Ghana, soliciting my assurance. I told him that Ofori must go through the due process like any other Ghanaian as stipulated by the law” he emphasised.
Ambassador Smith said, Ofori Atta is just like any other Ghanaian and would not be maltreatment but subjected to due processes according to the dictate of the laws of the state.
“I told him there was nothing i could do, the former finance minister must avail himself to the laws of the land” he added.
The latest expose confirms perceptions by a crossection of Ghanaians as to why a former political appointee would be evading invitation or summons by state agencies to account for his stewardship.
While Kofi Bentil, one of the panelists through his submission sought to also raised same fear of being subjected to iron fist when he appears, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, government’s spokesperson disagreed stating that several persons had gone through similar processes of arrest and due processes in the past and Ken Ofori Atta cannot be an exception, and will not be treated preferentially.
A regular panelist and immediate past MP for Asante Akyem, Andy Appiah Kubi, explains that no individual is powerful than the state and as such will evade summons or invitation by state agencies, saying “The state has the mandate to hall such a person before it through other legitimate alternative means”.
Mr. Kubi further stated that the seemingly evasive actitude of Ofori Atta has the tendency to influence his bail conditions should he eventually return to Ghana to face the criminal charges proffered against him.
Office of the Special Prosecutor has been working on the extradition of Ken Ofori Atta to Ghana to answer charges of his involvement in alleged shaddy deals including the notable SML deal, termination of Distribution, Loss Reduction and Associated Network Improvement Project contract between the Electricity Company of Ghana Limited and Beijing Xiao Cheng Technology, and the infamous National Cathedal.
