National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, believes the Mills-led NDC administration is using the recent Cabinet decision not to sell the No 2 Mungo Street Ridge residential landed property to him, to deliberately divert attention from the €94 million judgment debt paid to Construction Pioneers (CP) following the 6-3 Supreme Court verdict on his “Bungalow Saga”.
Jake Obetsebi-LampteyThe NPP insist Ghanaians have been shortchanged by CP and also hold the view that former Attorney-General, Madam Betty Mould-Iddrisu and Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor cannot absolve themselves from blame and prosecution since Cabinet had denied authorising the payments to CP.
Indeed, the Minority Leader, Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, at a press conference held last week said President Mills should not be allowed to continue to preside over such a rot and called on him to immediately authorise the appropriate agencies to plunge into the CP "dole out" which "stinks to the high heavens".
It comes on the heels of the landmark ruling last Tuesday by the Supreme Court dismissing, by a 9 – 0 decision, claims of corruption, conflict of interest, abuse of office and cronyism file against the NPP National Chair by two deputy ministers of state; Messrs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Dr Omane Boamah; and 6 – 3 decision that the process used in acquiring the property, contrary to the claimants’ claims, was not unfair and illegal.
48 hours after the ruling, government issued a statement saying despite the Supreme Court’s decision on “Mr. Obetsebi Lamptey’s immoral acquisition of a State Property” it was no longer selling the bungalow and land property at the Ridge residential area to him (Jake).
But the NPP National Chairman says he is not perturbed by cabinet’s decision on the sale of the bungalow and strongly believes it is just a move to divert attention from the CP dole-out.
Speaking to the issue in an interview on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, the NPP National Chairman accused government of indulging in propaganda and playing to the gallery.
He also finds it hard to believe that cabinet could meet over his legitimate acquisition of a property when there are far more pressing issues that needed immediate attention. To him, if the purchase of the said property is illegal, then President Mills, his Vice, John Mahama and the Chairman of the Council of State are equally guilty of once benefitting from the sale of state properties.
““…At a time when Polytechnic teachers seem to be going on strike; at a time doctors seem to be going on strike, Cabinet does not hold any special meeting or come out with a special statement. Instead Cabinet sits there to discuss Jake Obetsebi Lamptey’s property...The government says I am immoral and morality does not apply to one person...What is immoral for one is immoral for all. What about all those other people who have also been in government or given the opportunity to lease government lands or buy it, starting from the President , the Vice President and the Chairman of the Council of State….why is it that it is only Jake Obetsebi Lamptey who is immoral?” Jake quizzed.
He further stated that to the best of his knowledge, the acquisition of the No 2 Mungo Street landed property in the Ridge Residential area was legal and has therefore handed the matter to his lawyers on what course of action he should take.
“Well, that is a legal matter and I leave that one to the lawyers because I don’t know how the government can say that they won’t sell what is not theirs…all I see is propaganda. In the face of all the challenges; the 94 Million Euros paid to CP, how to find out how it was paid; as well as that of Woyome, they want to come out with a strategy that will distract everybody and so they thought of Jake Obetsebi Lamptey; for everybody to talk about Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, instead of the significant things that needs to be discussed,” he said.
source: peacefmonline
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