What Will $125,000 Do To Me? - Dr. Adjei-Bawuah

Ghana�s former envoy to Japan in the erstwhile NPP administration, Dr. Barfuor Adjei-Bawuah is outraged at media reports that he has allegedly misappropriated $125,000.00. of the nation's money. Dr. Adjei-Bawuah challenging the integrity of the Ghanaian media and has expressed his utmost disappointment at the Daily Graphic Newspaper for not contacting him for a response before publishing what he considers an assassination of his character. �I am very disappointed about the fact that there doesn�t seem to be a certain molecule of integrity coming out of the media houses,� He told Citifm in an interview. The Daily Graphic Newspaper of Wednesday October 7, reported that the former NPP presidential hopeful was cited in an audit report of the Ghana Embassy in Tokyo, Japan for allegedly diverting $125, 000 meant for two public universities in Ghana into the account of his private foundation, the Lotte-Bonsafo Scholarship Foundation. The money, according to the newspaper was a contribution by a Japanese chocolate manufacturing company, Lotte Company, towards supporting education in Ghana. The donation was reportedly in fulfillment of a promise made by the company during a visit to Japan by former President J.A. Kufuor in October 2002. This information, the newspaper claims were contained in a report issued after an audit conducted by the Ghana Audit Service for the period of April 1, 2007 to June 30, 2009. Commenting on the allegations, Dr. Baffour told Citi FM that it is heart breaking for any report to cite him as having embezzled state funds. �I have not read the paper so I can�t say that this report is true or not but if the sum total is that I have cornered one cent or one pesewa of the nation�s money, that one is a heart breaking kind of thing.� Although he would not comment on the details of the report, Dr. Adjei Baffour stated that �If I and the country stood to give accounts the country owes me money.� He claimed. An obviously infuriated Dr. Adjei Bawuah questioned why the government has failed to deal with the issue since 2002 if there were any such allegations. �If we are talking about 2002, how incompetent has the government being to the extent that this matter has been pending until now?� He queried. The sixty seven year old politician said further that he had achieved enough for his life that $125,000.00 cannot be a motivation for him to dent his hard won reputation. �At my age, for everything else that I have tried to do for myself in my life time, what will $125,000.00 do for me which I couldn�t have done for myself by now?� He asked. Dr. Bawuah is challenging all who desire to know the true facts of the matter to proceed to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education for them. He implored Ghanaians to desist from taking delight in ruining people�s integrity and show gratitude to those who have rendered productive services to the nation. �For once people who are in critical positions in this country also ought to have integrity enough to respect the facts and the other person�s freedom and integrity�because as far as I am concerned all that you want to do is to crucify Adjei Bawuah for whatever�For Christ�s sake I think somebody should recognize the good and productive efforts of others.� He said. The former Ghanaian ambassador to Japan says he is currently gathering his documents and would call a press conference soon to respond appropriately.