John Jinapor
One of the loyalists of former President John Dramani Mahama and former Deputy Minister of Power, John Abdulai Jinapor, yesterday had his Tema residence reportedly raided by the police.
Early in the morning, operatives of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service went to his house in search of documents on the AMERI deal.
While Mr John Jinapor claims that armed policemen stormed his residence, thereby traumatizing his children, sources at the CID have painted a different picture, pointing out that the eventual entry by the operatives was caused by the refusal of the security man to allow them access to the house.
The policemen went to the residence in connection with investigations into the controversial AMERI power deal.
Two other officials, who are connected with the AMERI deal, also had their homes searched simultaneously.
They are Francis Dzata, technical advisor for the AMERI deal and Dominic Ayine, a former Deputy Attorney General.
Former Power Minister, Dr Kwabena Donkor’s Spintex Road house had earlier been searched.
The CID personnel were on a mission to collect evidence that would possibly implicate the former power minister, his deputy and the two other officials for causing financial loss to the state with their involvement in the controversial AMERI agreement.
They seized an iPhone belonging to Mr Jinapor during the search yesterday, according to police reports, after seizing pen drives and laptop from the house of Dr Donkor earlier.
Concerning the two other officials, police source said nothing was found.
Drama In Jinapor’s House
Reports gathered by DAILY GUIDE indicated that the team – comprising three CID operatives, led by an ASP, and two other armed personnel in mufti – stormed Jinapor’s Tema Community 12 house around 6:30 am.
The police reportedly parked their vehicle about 100 meters away from the house, left the armed police officers inside it while the CID personnel, who had a court warrant, went to press the door bell of the former deputy power minister.
Reports said the CID men stood at the gate close to 30 munities pressing the door bell but nobody came to open the gate – which is said to be electronically controlled.
Police sources said after making no headway, the personnel became helpless and sat outside waiting for somebody to come out of the house.
Lo and behold, the sources said, a gentleman who was using a motorbike also came to the house to press the bell but after receiving no response, he made a call to somebody on his mobile phone.
“It was at this point that the security man came to open the gate for the said person to enter,” the source intimated.
The search team, according to reports, took advantage to introduce themselves to the security man in order to allow them enter the house, but he refused to listen to them and closed the gate.
“The personnel then forced to enter, but they were warned by the security officer not to venture, threatening that he would not be responsible if anything happened to them,” the source indicated.
The source said it was at this point that the CID personnel called the uniformed personnel to assist.
Upon hearing the voices of the personnel outside the gate and persistent pressing of the door bell, Mr Jinapor then ordered his security man to open the gate for them.
According to the source, Mr Jinapor, realizing that they were security men, came to meet them and after they had showed him the warrant of search, they were led into the house.
DAILY GUIDE learnt that the uniformed men stood outside the compound while the investigators entered the house to conduct their search.
Children Traumatized
The former deputy power minister said after the raid his kids were left traumatized.
According to the MP, his entire house – including his children’s rooms and bathrooms – were ransacked by the security personnel.
He said on Starr Fm that “They searched everywhere, my bedroom, kitchen, my children’s room, garage and everywhere possible, but I told them that I don’t have anything with me and that every document regarding the AMERI deal was left at the ministry.”
He added, “As we speak, my family is traumatized. Imagine six and eight-year-olds going through a thing like this; they are very traumatized.”
Jinapor confirmed that the search team seized his iPhone and insisted that he turns in his laptop to assist them with the investigations.
“They have taken my iPhone and asked that I bring my laptop too. I told them I don’t have a personal laptop; the one I use is a property of parliament and so I will go and ask the speaker if he will allow me to go and give it to them. They have also asked that I report to the police station on Monday,” he underscored.
Flashback
It would be recalled that the Mahama administration, in the heat of the dumsor (erratic power supply) in February 2015, entered into a $510 million deal with AMERI for the supply of power plants to mitigate the power crisis.
But media reports indicated that the cost of the project was outrageously high, compelling the Nana Akufo-Addo government to set up a committee to look into the contract.
(lindatenyah@gmail.com)
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey