The late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, aka Sir John
THE SPECIAL Prosecutor, Kissi Agyabeng, is lacing up his boots to commence investigations into the mind-boggling assets acquired by the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, aka Sir John.
This follows public outcry about the number of assets acquired by the late New Patriotic Party (NPP) former General Secretary, which were contained in a leaked document believed to be his last Will and Testament, and has been making headlines over the past four days.
A source has told DAILY GUIDE that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) will be digging into the assets declared by Sir John prior to his assumption of office and compare same with the assets acquired, taking into consideration his salary and the number of years spent in public office prior to his death.
There are rumours that the one-time General Secretary of the NPP did not declare his assets in accordance with Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification), Act 550.
The Special Prosecutor, according to the source, will be investigating alleged or suspected cases of corruption or a corruption-related offence involving Sir John during his tenure in public office as CEO of the Forestry Commission.
Sir John became the CEO of the Forestry Commission from March 2017 until his demise on July 1, 2020, and within that period was able to amass a very considerable amount of wealth and properties which has set tongues wagging.
His Last Will and Testament discloses that he owned about 11 different expensive buildings in Category A Communities in Accra, with as many as six of such buildings located in or near East Legon, a first class residential area in Accra.
He also left behind about 13 parcels of land situated in different parts of the country, particularly Accra, the Ashanti Region and Kasoa in the Central Region.
Sir John also left behind more than 13 very expensive vehicles, including Lexus LX570, Ford Fusion, Lexus V6, Nissan Titan Pick Up V8, Mercedes Benz E68 Sport AMG, Honda Pilot V6, among others.
He also left behind eight separate bank accounts, eight investment ventures including one at Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) worth GH¢2 million.
He also left behind the Afriyie Memorial Hospital located at Sakora Wonoo, a fuel station located at Kentinkrono in the Ashanti Region, 10 fuel tanker vehicles, three stalls located at the new Kejetia market in Kumasi, one teak plantation located at Nkawie in the Ashanti Region, farms at Ejura in the Ashanti Region, and rubber plantation located in the Eastern Region.
Achimota/Ramsar Lands
Sir John’s Last Will and Testament has been a topic for discussion for days now, and of particular interest to many Ghanaians is the alleged acquisition of several acres of state lands situated within the Achimota Forest and at Ramsar sites in Sakumono in the Greater Accra Region, all under the Forestry Commission.
The concerns raised by many Ghanaians relate to the propriety of the former Forestry Commission boss acquiring a state land on the Achimota reserved area and a Ramsar site, an internationally recognised site due to its value and importance.
The OSP, DAILY GUIDE has been told, will be probing into how those lands were acquired and any person found culpable will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has indicated that checks at the Lands and Forestry Commissions, on the repositories of the Achimota Forest or the Sakumono Ramsar Sites show no records of ownership by Sir John.
The minister stated that preliminary inquiries also showed the alleged will in question is a subject matter of litigation/contestation in the courts, and thus directed the Lands and Forestry Commissions to deem the ownership of the lands in question, void.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak