[ 2014-04-25 ]

Kweku Baako confirms the Minister on the Iranain place
Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide
newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jr. has
disclosed the name of the public official who was
part of the alleged government business delegation
on board a US plane that was grounded in Iran.

Brouhaha over a US-flagged private jet said to
belong to Mr. Ibrahim Mahama, brother of President
John Dramani Mahama which landed in Iran with a
business delegation without approval seems to
linger on.

Iran had said that the plane, which landed in
Tehran last week, was leased to the office of
Ghana’s President, and carrying a business
delegation from the West African nation.

Tehran’s comments came after The New York Times
reported on Thursday that a plane, owned by the
Bank of Utah, was parked in Mehrabad Airport in
Tehran on Tuesday.

It was later reported that the plane was leased to
Engineers and Planners (E&P), a mining firm
founded by Ibrahim Mahama, brother of Ghana’s
President.

The presence of an American plane in Iran was
striking as Washington and Tehran have been caught
up in a long standing diplomatic standoff for
decades, and the Islamic Republic is under a
number of economic sanctions.

On Friday, Iran’s State news agency, IRNA,
quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman,
Marzieh Afkham, as saying that the plane was
transporting Ibrahim Mahama, the brother of
Ghana’s President and a mining delegation.

“The plane is on lease to Ghana’s presidential
office, and its passengers were Ghanaian senior
officials led by the president’s brother. None
of its crew members were American,” Afkham was
quoted as saying.

He also added that the “Ghanaian senior
officials” were in Tehran to follow up on
agreements reached between the two countries two
years ago.

There are widespread reports that there was a
government appointee on board the private jet,
government communicators as well as the
Information Ministry, refused to disclose his or
her name.

But contributing to a panel discussion on
‘Kokrokoo’, Kweku Baako found it surprising
that government officials are shunning away from
disclosing such information because to him, ‘it
is no secret’.

He said the Manifest of an airplane is there for
everybody to see and “so even if government
officials do not say anything, anybody can walk in
and get such information” and he mentioned Dr.
Mustapha Ahmed, Minister of State in charge of
Development and Member of Parliament (MP) for
Ayawaso East as the government official on the
private jet.

“What is the secret about this? There should be
no effort to hide the people on the plane. He is a
public figure and so I don’t see why he should
be hidden. He was on the plane but it was not for
an official visit. The Iranians have even
constructed a hospital in his constituency and so
he already has a relationship with the Iranian
government,” he stated.

Kweku Baako also added that to help end the
controversy, it will be in the interest of Dr.
Mustapha Ahmed to speak to the issue and clear the
air.

“It is not a big deal. Ghana has no obligation
to follow the US sanctions against the Iranians.
It is a storm in a tea cup,” he added.

Source - Peacefmonline

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