The Minority in Parliament of Ghana has petitioned the United States Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie S. Sullivan demanding formal investigations by the United States Government into the PDS scandal which has rocked the nation.
In a press statement by the Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP), Ranking Member, Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs said “The Minority seeks to trigger investigations under the Foriegn Corrupt Practices Act of the United States of America especially after a clearer picture is now emerging that the Akufo-Addo Government stands complicit with top functionaries and cronies neck deep in the putrescent sleaze.”
Mr. Ablakwa said “The Akufo-Addo Government, therefore, cannot be trusted to conduct thorough and independent investigations into this scandal of monumental proportions.”
The Power Distribution Service is a consortium of companies that have been awarded a concession to manage the power distributions for which the United States government through the Millennium Development Authority has invested about 300million United States dollars.
PDS thus tool over the state owned Electricity Company of Ghana in Fabuary this year but government in just about five months into the project, government has suspended the agreement citing issues of fraud.
Read the full statement:
For Immediate Release [14/08/2019]
MINORITY PETITIONS US AMBASSADOR ON PDS SCANDAL
The Minority in Parliament has this morning petitioned the United States Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Stephanie S. Sullivan demanding formal investigations by the United States Government into the PDS scandal which has rocked the nation.
The petition signed by the Honourable Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu was personally hand delivered at the US Embassy in Accra by the Honourable Ranking Member on Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The Minority seeks to trigger investigations under the Foriegn Corrupt Practices Act of the United States of America especially after a clearer picture is now emerging that the Akufo-Addo Government stands complicit with top functionaries and cronies neck deep in the putrescent sleaze. The Akufo-Addo Government, therefore, cannot be trusted to conduct thorough and independent investigations into this scandal of monumental proportions.
Besides, the Minority like most Ghanaians have grown sceptical about so-called investigations by the Akufo-Addo Administration since a countless number of these investigations only end up clearing appointees. The reports are never published and the real culprits are never identified and punished.
Furthermore, the Minority is of the firm conviction that every possible option must remain on the table in our collective sacred duty to protect a strategic national interest, the Electricity Company of Ghana, from being balkanized by a marauding greedy cabal in questionable arrangements.
We are additionally fortified by the knowledge that United States Authorities would not adopt a nonchalant attitude and allow millions of US taxpayer Dollars under the signed Compact II of the Millennium Challenge Account to be recklessly misapplied and squandered.
Kindly find attached to this release a copy of the petition in issue submitted to the US Ambassador at 11am today.
Signed,
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP)
Ranking Member, Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs.
