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President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has absolved the Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen of any wrongful conduct regarding the "extortion" allegations against him and his Ministry.

According to a statement signed by the Information Minister Mustapha Hamid, following the President's query to the Trade Minister; "the facts, as reported to the President, do not disclose any wrong doing on the part of the Minister or any governmental official".

"The President has therefore asked the Minister to put those facts before the Ghanaian people," the statement further read.

The President's statement is in response to allegations by Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak on the floor of Parliament last Friday over alleged illegal charges imposed on expatriate businesses by the Ministry during the recent Ghana Expatriates Business Awards.

He revealed that the Ministry charged participants $100,000 to sit closer to the President at the awards held on Friday, December 8, 2017 at the Movenpick Hotel in Accra.

This resulted in a near fisticuffs between the Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Carlos Ahenkorah and the Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa at Parliament when the latter was addressing the issue in an interview with the press.

Mr. Ablakwa described the move by the Trade Ministry as "extortion, dubious and unethical" and hoped the President and the Members of the Legislative House would sanction the sector Minister and his deputy.

Mr. Ahenkorah interrupted the interview accusing Mr. Ablakwa of being a thief.