The leader of the committee tasked by government to look into the Ameri deal, Philip Addison, has rejected claims that Ameri’s hospitality extended them influenced their work.<\/p>\n
The committee had sent a delegation to Dubai on the invite of Ameri, which the New Patriotic Party government has accused of\u00a0bloating a power agreement contract by about $150 million<\/strong><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n But\u00a0the Minority in Parliament rebuked the committee for accepting Ameri’s offer to travel to Dubai, claiming it could have influenced the final report.<\/p>\n They also accused Mr. Addison\u2019s committee of traveling first class ticket, and lodging at a plush hotel in Dubai at the expense of Ameri.<\/p>\n [contextly_sidebar id=”9NFzeYyAzjhBtBZPCYWP6O1qQY246JA4″]But Mr. Addison on Metro TV\u2019s Good Evening Ghana on Tuesday, said such was not the case. He argued that the offer could not have influenced the committee’s report.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are saying that Ameri owed us close to $200 million, so if it is that they pick a bill for tickets and hotel, how much would that amount to, that it becomes an issue?\u201d<\/p>\n “The delegation that went to Dubai was a government delegation of three. We were supposed to be four, but the Chief Executive of VRA who was supposed to be part of it couldn\u2019t attend because of pressing issues. The payment of these tickets had nothing to do with us. I didn\u2019t go and negotiate for ticket payments. The way it\u2019s being said it’s like I went to Ameri and requested for money to buy tickets. I was sitting in my office and I got the ticket and I got the visa on my phone. So I didn\u2019t go and procure this thing,” he explained.<\/p>\n Mr. Addison, who is also a private legal practitioner, further\u00a0disclosed that, they went to Dubai to negotiate with Ameri for better terms and not to investigate them.<\/p>\n \u201cI keep reading and hearing that they were supposed to investigate Ameri, no, we were not going to investigate Ameri. We were going to have negotiation not investigation. And there was no antagonistic relationship. So they freely offered to pick up the bill. So I don\u2019t understand when so much noise is being made about this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Background<\/strong><\/p>\n Ameri Power secured a contract from the erstwhile National Democratic Congress government to provide about 250 Megawatts of power for Ghana due to an existing\u00a0erratic power supply\u00a0in the country at the time.<\/p>\n However, the New Patriotic Party government upon assuming office, tasked a 17-member committee to investigate the contract, which they believe was not in the best interest of Ghanaians.<\/p>\n Minority charges <\/strong><\/p>\n The Minority Spokesperson on Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, had earlier lambasted<\/strong><\/a><\/span> the committee for accepting Ameri’s hospitality offer which he said was wrong.<\/p>\n \u201cHow can a Ministerial Committee which is a public body tasked to investigate a deal that you claim there was a wrong doing, accept gifts and hospitality? To the extent that it was material and they failed to make the public aware, that is my concern. Are you telling me a public body should accept gifts and hospitality from the very person that you are going to investigate?\u201d<\/p>\n Philip Addison on the Show said \u201cour per diem was given to us here, by the Minister,\u201d adding that they used a business class ticket and not first class.”<\/p>\n On why Ameri sponsored them to Dubai, Mr. Addison said \u201cthey [Ameri] said they couldn\u2019t come so we should go. We could have had it anywhere, in Dubai, here or in a third country.\u201d<\/p>\n We were not satisfied after negotiation<\/strong><\/p>\n Mr. Addison said the committee was not satisfied with Ameri\u2019s position on the matter.<\/p>\n \u201cThe outcome of the negotiation was not what we expected, but we engaged them, we told them the position we were coming from, but we did not get what we wanted,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
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