The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has called on the Special Prosecutor to launch a full-scale investigation into allegations of money laundering and illicit gold trade by elements in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government, contained in a recent Al Jazeera documentary.
The party has also demanded similar investigations into a leaked Cabinet report by former Environment Minister and Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee against Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.
Addressing a press conference at the party’s headquarters today, National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, made references to a recent documentary by international news network, Al Jazeera into the activities of a gold smuggling syndicate operating in various African countries, including Ghana.
The NDC alleges that there existed “a relationship between the deadly racket and the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and other high-ranking officials of the ruling NPP government”.
The party mentioned one Alistair Mathias cited in the documentary as having had some dealings with people in the current government, including the award and sale of government contracts in return for “commissions” otherwise known as kickbacks.
The said Alistair Mathias, the party alleged, undertakes to launder money realized from the sale of such government contracts, including supply and procurement contracts, by lodging these proceeds in foreign banks on behalf of some alleged political collaborators in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.
“In the One-hour, thirteen-minute video documentary, one Alistair Mathias who has gained notoriety for designing money laundering schemes for corrupt African Leaders, could be seen boasting about his close
relationship with President Akufo-Addo and other high-profile African leaders.
Sammy Gyamfi stressed, “The said Alistair Mathias who is described as a Canadian citizen and a financial architect operating a gold smuggling syndicate in Ghana called Guldrest, confided in Al Jazeera undercover reporters who posed as Chinese Businessmen, about his constant dealings with President Akufo-Addo. Some of the underhand dealings this shady character revealed include how the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government for instance can award his company, Mathias Holdings an inflated contract worth $100 million, which he in turn subcontracts to another company for a value of about $80 million, thereby making a staggering profit of $20 million on the contract”.
The NDC has thus called on both the Special Prosecutor and Parliament to probe into these allegations of money laundering.
The party stated that illegal mining activities allegedly being undertaken by persons close to power are the main source of gold being smuggled out of the country.
The increasing spate of illegal mining activities in the country, the NDC contends, provides clear evidence of the interlinked activities of ‘galamsey’, illicit gold trade and money laundering.
The party therefore called on the Special Prosecutor and Parliament to launch a public probe into a leaked report authored by former Environment Minister and Chairman of the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee against Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, and bring to book all culprits who have been named in these two reports.