Ken Ofori-Atta Should Be Jailed For Violating The Constitution – Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has backed calls for the removal of finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta for gross incompetence.

According to the former deputy minister for education, Mr. Ofori-Atta should not only be sacked but he must also be prosecuted for violating the constitution.

Mr. Okudzeto, while speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana program accused the finance minister of putting himself into several conflict of interest situations against the best interest of the office he occupies.

Mr. Ablakwa also accused the embattled finance minister of consistently spearheading the withdrawal of funds from the consolidated fund without parliamentary approval as established by law.

The North Tongu MP also fingered the President for complicity in the actions of Mr. Ofori-Atta, insisting that former President Mahama would never condone such blatant abuse of the constitution.

He added that Mr Ofori-Atta’s companies have been direct beneficiaries of Government borrowings superintended by him, throwing his weight behind persons calling for Ofori-Atta’s prosecution.

“The last time we asked the Finance Minister to come declare how much he’s benefited, his companies have benefited from Eurobonds alone, he told us in Parliament GHC 151 million. The Hanzard is there! Nasty conflict of interest. Many people have called for the removal – and I agree with the popular view that we should not only be talking about the removal of this Finance Minister, but his prosecution. He is a candidate for jail. Let’s be honest. You violate 178 of the Constitution. The Constitution is clear; you can’t dip your hands into the Consolidated Fund without Parliamentary approval.

This Finance Minister does it once, twice thrice, claiming that he is looking for money to build the President’s Cathedral. GHC 199 million! I mean we never saw this under President Mahama, not under President Kufuor, not under President Rawlings. We’ve never seen it in our history. Blatant disregard for the Constitution. Blatant and flagrant! Violent of the constitution. This is a Finance Minister who violates article 176 of the Constitution and sends our oil revenue offshore. His atrocities are so many. Numerous. Countless!”.

Mr. Ofori-Atta has become a subject of massive public debate in recent time after some 80 MPs from his Party petitioned for his removal from office, citing gross incompetence.

It has been reported that President Akufo-Addo has asked for the minister to conclude negotiations with the IMF before a decision can be taken on whether or not to remove him from office.

Source: GhanaFeed.Com