The eight member Committee set up by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban S.K. Bagbin investigating the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has thrown out two out of the seven charges preferred against the minister.
Finance Minister will not be responding first and third grounds in the motion of censure filed by the Minority during the ongoing hearing.
These are alleged illegal payments of oil revenues to offshore accounts and conflict of interest.
This follows testimony given by the Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC) on Thursday over payment of money into an offshore accounts.
However, the testimony, it was established that the Finance Minister did not authorised payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts.
Announcing the drop in charges on Friday November 18, Co-chair of the committee Dr Dominic Ayine pointed out that “…They also did not say anything to the effect that you gave the instructions with respect to that payment. On account of the evidence adduced which kind of contradicted the evidence that was led by the proponent of the motion, the committee has taken the view that you will not be called to deal with this matter.”
He continued that “…So in essence, there are now five grounds that you will have to deal with. Those are grounds 2, that is the unconstitutional withdrawals in relation to the national cathedral, then we have ground 5, 6 and 7 to deal with.”
Mr Ofori-Atta appeared before the committee on Friday November 18 to answer the charges against him.
He believes that after the submission the committee and Ghanaians will understand the reality on the ground, saying that “I am certain Ghanaians will have a more balance view of what has led us here.”
Find copy of the charges below
By V incent Kubi