Three individuals, Issifu Seidu Kudus Gbeadese, Elikem Kotoko, and Stephen Kwabena Attuh, have petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate the involvement of Vice President and flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in the Power Distribution Services (PDS) deal.
PDS Ghana Limited takeover was a contentious deal that granted PDS a 25-year concession to manage the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The agreement, signed in March 2019, was short-lived, as it was suspended in July 2019 amid allegations of fraud.
As a result, the US government withheld $190 million in funding from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) meant for Ghana’s energy sector, citing the importance of private sector participation.
This has sparked criticisms among Ghanaians including the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, who has promised to ensure a thorough investigation of the PDS scandal to hold those involved accountable.
The three individuals, in the petition dated Tuesday, September 3, requested the OSP to investigate Dr. Bawumia’s role in authorising the downgrade of the required Bank Guarantee to Insurance Guarantee in the PDS agreement.
They believe the deal has led to a series of events resulting in the loss of $519 million in funding from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
They are also seeking an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the decision to vary the conditions precedent into conditions subsequent, which effectively led to the transfer of ECG assets to PDS.
Furthermore, they are demanding the recovery of $4.24 million of taxpayer money sanctioned by PDS to secure the Insurance Guarantee.
The petitioners are exercising their rights under the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and the Office of Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), which empowers citizens to report complaints of corruption and corruption-related offences to the OSP.
They are calling on the Special Prosecutor to commence an investigation into the complicity or otherwise of the Vice President in the PDS scandal.
Click here to read the full petition
Explore the world of impactful news with CitiNewsroom on WhatsApp!
Click on the link to join the Citi Newsroom channel for curated, meaningful stories tailored just for YOU: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCYzPRAYlUPudDDe53x
No spams, just the stories that truly matter! #StayInformed #CitiNewsroom #CNRDigital
