[ 2014-04-19 ]

Akoto Osei dares gov't over Bankswitch case: Take me to court if I am guilty
Former Minister of State at the finance ministry,
Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei has challenged government
to proceed to court if it suspects he is guilty
and played a role in the 197 million dollar
judgment debt awarded against the state in its
negotiation with IT Firm, Bankswitch Ghana
Limited.

Dr. Akoto Osei who also denied allegations that he
held shares in Bankswitch Ghana Limited, insists
the John Agyekum Kufuor administration did no
wrong in entering the contract with the IT firm in
2005.

Speaking on news analysis programme NewsFile
Saturday, the formr minister described as
unfortunate, government's 'hurried' abrogation of
the contract without going through proper
procedures.

"If they think I have done something wrong, they
should take me to court,”

According to him, the matter between Bankswitch
has been going on since 2005”…and this mystery
[abrogation of contract with Bankswitch] in 2010
is what has caused the judgment debt.

In his view, the actions by the current NDC
aministration was avoidable.

The Ministry of Finance entered into an agreement
with the company for the provision of a customers'
valuation software for the Customs Division of the
Ghana Revenue Authority, to help with revenue
mobilization.

Bankswitch Ghana Limited sued the government of
Ghana at The Hague, Netherlands for wrongfully
abrogating a contract signed with the Finance
Ministry to provide services.

Bankswitch Ghana Limited requested the court to
award it 853 million cedis for the illegal
termination of a contract it signed with the
government in 2007.

But the court awarded damages amounting to 197.4
million cedis to Bankswitch Ghana.

Government's challenge
Meanwhile, deputy Minister of Information and
Media Relations, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed revealed
on the programme that government will challenge
the case and the amount.

"…In anycase, this case is being challenged,
government is not going to lie low; government
will not just pay,” he said.

According to Murtala, the contract was abrogated
because it did not have parliamentary approval.

"The issue is not about the NDC abrogating that
contract but the bottom line [is that] people
disregarded what they ought to have done"

Source - MyjoyOnline

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