Special Prosecutor’s Report Clears Bawumia, Exposes Adu Boahen’s Influence Peddling
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
In a highly-anticipated development, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has released its report on the corruption and corruption-related offense probe into the conduct of Charles Adu Boahen, the axed Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance. The report unveils startling findings related to influence peddling and financial impropriety. It also exonerates Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia of any involvement in the alleged wrongdoing.
OSP Report Reveals Minister of State at Ministry of Finance Engaged in Improper Dealings
Charles Adu Boahen
Adu Boahen, whose name was brought into the spotlight through Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ investigative documentary ‘Galamsey Economy’ that aired in 2022, was accused of receiving dollar gifts and engaging in influence peddling with undercover agents posing as investors.
Adu Boahen’s Improper Dealings
The documentary raised significant concerns about Adu Boahen’s involvement, particularly his allusion that Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia was a key figure in facilitating meetings with potential investors. Allegedly, Adu Boahen suggested that investors pay a substantial amount of US$200,000 to secure a meeting with the Vice President.
The OSP report shed light on Adu Boahen’s actions and motivations, stating, “In the high political office he occupied, it ought reasonably to have occurred to Mr. Adu Boahen that his bargain for twenty percent (20%) of the value of the proposed investment and his receipt of a cash gift of Forty Thousand United States dollars (US$40,000.00) from the supposed sheikh was outrightly improper.”
The report further questioned Adu Boahen’s judgment, noting, “His claim that he accepted the cash gift to avoid offending the supposed sheikh lies very thinly; and his suggestion of the payment of an appearance fee of Two Hundred Thousand United States dollars (US$200,000.00) to the Vice President was quite reckless.”
Bawumia Cleared of Involvement
Importantly, the OSP’s investigation found that Vice President Bawumia was not aware of the transactions conducted by Adu Boahen. The report explicitly states that the Vice President had not tasked Adu Boahen to demand money on his behalf. Bawumia’s aide had previously issued a statement denying the claims and called for a thorough investigation, which led to the formal referral of Adu Boahen’s conduct to the OSP by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Adu Boahen’s Motivation Questioned
The report concluded that all evidence pointed to Adu Boahen’s principal motivation being his own personal gain, despite intimating to the supposed sheikh that he was acting in the interest of Ghana’s potential developmental benefits resulting from the proposed investment.
This OSP report provides a significant turning point in the ongoing investigation and has cleared Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia of any wrongdoing. Adu Boahen’s actions have been deemed as influence peddling and improper dealings, casting a shadow on his tenure as Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance.