[ 2012-07-13 ]

I Acted Professionally - Mould-Iddrisu
A former Attorney-General (A-G) and Minister of
Justice, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu, has told the
Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament that
she acted professionally and in the interest of
Ghana in reducing the 162-million euro claim by
Construction Pioneers (CP) to 94 million euros.

At her second appearance before the committee
which is probing into the payment of the
settlement debt of 94 million euros to CP, she
explained that Ghana also secured a deal to freeze
the interest of 12,700 euros which was being
charged every day on the final award given to CP.

“I was bold to clear the mess left by the previous
Attorney-General and Minister of Justice,” she
declared, adding that the country was facing a
grave financial implication because of the
unsettled judgement debt.

She said the previous government had realised the
danger and started the global settlement
negotiation with CP before she assumed office in
February 2009.

The about four-hour sitting was initially tense,
with Mrs Mould-Iddrisu accusing some members of
the committee, especially the MP for
Atwima-Mponua, Mr Isaac Kwame Asiamah, of saying
that she conspired with CP to dupe the state and
defraud the people of Ghana.

She also raised issue with the Chairman of the
PAC, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, whom she accused of
referring to the settlement agreement with CP as
not being professional.

Led by her lead counsel, Nana Ato Dadzie, Mrs
Mould-Iddrisu stated that all the correspondence
from the Office of the President in 2008 and the
previous Attorney-General pointed to the fact that
a settlement process began with CP as far back as
2008.

She said a former Minister of State at the
Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr
Anthony Akoto Osei, issued a 14-million euro
warrant to be paid to CP as a measure of building
confidence for CP to negotiate with the
government.

Before that, she added, the previous government
had paid seven million euros in connection with
Obuasi town roads and every correspondence pointed
to the fact that settlement with CP was the way
forward.

The former A-G explained that she would have
misconducted herself not to have continued with
the process initiated by the previous
administration to negotiate with CP for a final
settlement.

Mrs Mould-Iddrisu said notwithstanding those
facts, she still wrote to the Chief of Staff to
inform the Executive that she was entering into
negotiations with CP.

She added that she also sought the advice of
relevant government institutions on the
composition of a team to negotiate with CP.

Asked whether she informed the Executive after the
final negotiation and the financial implications
to the country, she responded that the government
was aware, since officials of the Ministry of
Finance were involved at the various stages of the
negotiation.

On whether she sought the permission of the
Executive before forming the team to negotiate
with CP, the former A-G stated that she had the
constitutional mandate, as the A-G, to constitute
a team for the negotiation.

Mrs Mould-Iddrisu maintained that she acted
professionally and in the best interest of the
country to reduce the amount which was being
sought by CP.

About 300 NDC supporters who had besieged the
entrance of the new Parliament House block where
the sitting took place burst into a frenzy when
Mrs Mould-Iddrisu came out of the four-hour
hearing.

Wearing NDC T-shirts bearing the image of the
President, the supporters chanted the Ga popular
song, ‘Wole, Wole Noko’, amidst drumming and
dancing, all in praise of the former A-G.

They carried placards, some of which read, “Betty
acted in good faith”; “Bring NPP officials to
book”; “Stop the baseless attack on Betty”;
“Enough of the ill-informed attacks on Betty” and
“We are with you, Auntie Betty”.

Source - Daily Graphic

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