Mills-Mahama Gov�t Has Shot Itself In The Foot - Raymond Archer

Editor of the Enquirer newspaper, Raymond Archer, believes the Mills-Mahama administration has shot itself in the foot by acknowledging the EO Group as the only Ghanaian partner in the Jubilee oil field after re-considering its previous stance of arresting and prosecuting the EO Group and its directors for... ...causing financial loss of several billions of dollars to the GNPC, money laundering and conspiracy to forge official documents, among others. After months of unrelenting attempts by some elements in the ruling government to cause commercial and collateral damage to EO Group with planned prosecution of the group by the Attorney General�s office, reason has finally prevailed, thereby fine-tuning government�s earlier posture on the issue. The twirl of controversies that surrounded EO Group�s share in the Jubilee fields attracted major concerns from industry players, who argued vehemently that protracting the issue could gravely affect investment flows into the country�s oil sector. The group was subjected to an incomprehensible campaign of character assassination, false allegations of misconduct and abuse. However, the Ghanaian partners made a major stride on Monday, July 25th, following the approval and conclusion of an agreement with British firm, Tullow Oil for the acquisition of EO�s stake in the oilfield. But the Enquirer newspaper Editor is finding it difficult to come to terms with why government was initially so keen on prosecuting the EO group on the basis of fraud but did a volte-face after two years to transact business with them. �We�ve been following this particular investigation even before the NDC came into office. We are aware from reliable sources that the investigations have been concluded and that as at two, three weeks ago, the Attorney General was preparing to press charges and so I am wondering why government will now be giving its consent for the company that they are investigating, a company that its operations were questionable�its registrations and its operations in Ghana was predicated on fraudulent activities to still sit down on one table with the same company and give its consent for them to do business�I don�t think as a government all they can do is to conduct investigations and after two years, they don�t tell Ghanaians anything; only claims and counter claims then by the time we realize they are sitting down at the same table with the same people accused of criminality and fraud and doing business with them,� Raymond Archer charged in an interview with Shamima Muslim on Citi Eye Witness News. He expressed surprise at the decision by the ruling government to accept a lobby from the EO group to pay reparation of $15 million in exchange for the prosecution or any investigations to be halted. ��I don�t see why the government should be involved in such a transaction,� he said.