The Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen has named the persons who sat with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Ghana Expatriates Business Awards which has caused some controversy in the last few weeks.
Mr Kyerematen gave the names on Friday when he appeared before the five-member Parliamentary committee investigating the matter.
According to him, 17 persons ranging from top business executives to key political figures.
Below is the full list of persons on the President’s table at the awards night:
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
Trade Minister, Alan Kyeremateng
Carlos Ahenkorah, Deputy Trade Minister
Mr Ashim Morton, President of Millennium Excellence Foundation
Mr. Amarh Hari, Chief Executive of IPMC
Mr. Ashok Mohinani, Chairman of Mohinani Group
Mr Salem Kalmoni, Chief Executive of Japan Motors
Jerry John Rawlings and his wife
Mr. Saied Fakhry, Executive Chairman of Interplast Ghana Limited
Ms. Roshi Motman, Chief Executive of AirtelTigo Ghana
Mr. Jim O’Brien, Founder and Executive Chairman of Zenith Bank Group
Mr Bhagwan Khubchandani, Chief Executive of Melcom Ghana.
Mr. David Haper, Chief Executive of Geodrill Ghana
Mr. Mike Tacwani, Chief Executive of B Pipe Plus Ghana
Yofi Grant, CEO of GIPC
Yeo Ziobeieton, Chief Executive of Unilever Ghana
Ishmael Ashitey, Greater Accra Regional Minister
No wrongdoing
The Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen also said his outfit did no wrong in the infamous cash for seat scandal.
According to him, a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry and the organizers of the event clearly spelt out which party was responsible for soliciting for sponsorship and collection of monies for the awards ceremony.
Making his submission to the committee probing the matter in parliament today, Mr Kyerematen said the Millennium Excellence Foundation, who were the event organizers, handled all issues of sponsorship.
Background
The allegation of extortion against expatriates at the awards ceremony was first made by the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, in Parliament in December 2017.
Mr. Mubarak said the fees charged at the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards (GEBA) were not approved by Parliament, adding that the monies were also not accounted for in the Internally Generated Funds [IGF] of the Ministry’s accounts.
The issue was further reinforced by Mr. Ablakwa, who suffered verbal assaults from Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Carlos Ahenkorah over the matter.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry initially dissociated itself from these allegations.
The Trade Ministry, in a statement said it played no role in determining prices for seats at the event, and clarified that it only facilitated the implementation of a new initiative by the Millennium Excellence Foundation.
But the Ministry after an order from the President to probe the matter clarified that an amount of GHc 2,667,215 was realized from the event.
The organizers of the Awards had also explained that no one paid to sit close to the President and that the amount was raised from sponsorship through a fundraising at the event.
Source: Citifmonline.com
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I have said it once and I am saying it again that every executioner is afraid of lying on his back. I think that it was the normal practice during the NDC time. Our leaders must be very careful not to slip into the numerous traps of the insensitive NDC.
so papa J and mama J were also there.They r enjoying under Nana!! we all c that all the booms of JJ is about their stomachs!!!
You see the list?Only foreigners dominated by lebanese and indians surrounding a Ghanaian president.Do you see what I see and do you think what I think?So no wonder donald trump thinks we all live in shitthhole.Dont we have great and successful business in Ghana?
Look at a man's reputation regarding issues of integrity before you take him serious.
The manner by which Alan has handled the whole allegation and presented himself has portrayed him as matured competent and creative. It appears NDC is defetead in their intention for their noiseees and bruhaha. God dey. Alan has been exenorated by the president he is exibiting friendly characteristic in the face of provocation from some of his interrogators, the arrangements for the whole projects and event show that he is competent and has far sighted vision for the nation.
NDC Mps at parliament made allegation of extortion and corruption against the Trade and Industry Ministry. The President of Ghana took immediate action to investigate the matter and exonerating Trade and Industry Ministry from any wrongdoing. NDC MPs were dissatisfied and called for emergency conveyance of parliament from recess for the Christmas. The Speaker and the NPP Majority of Parliament judged the NDC proposal incompetent but agreed to set up a five-member committee to investigate the "cash for seats"allegation which has revealed the following facts. 1. Private Sector Industries establishing partnership with Trade and Industry Ministry to undertake a joint project to acknowledge and promote expatriate industries in Ghana. 2. The Trade and Industry Ministry established MOU with the Private Sector Body to execute the the project. 3.The Ministry was engaged to provide official recognition and supervision. 3.The Private Sector Body was responsible for execution of the project. 4.Project was to be pre-financed by the Private Sector Body and its expenditure to be reimbursed from earning of the project. 5.Donations To the project to be deposited with the Ministry to ascertain accountability of the donations in order to inspire trust and confidence of donors. 6.Presidency not involved in the organization of the project but informed and invited to the function. 7.Project executed on date according to MOU. 8. Donation to project categorised but voluntary. 9. Donations deposited with ministry as agreed in MOU and acknowledged with receipts. 10. Payments for project justified without any challenge. 11. Internal auditing carried out within a month of event of project. 12. No complaint made and no fault established by any of the players of event. 13. NDC Chief Whip, Mustapha, abandons claims of extortion and corruption, but insists the call for investigation was necessary for clarity. 14. NDC Okudjeto Ablakwah admits of not having enough facts of project and event. He abandons the claim of levy but thinks the donation is extortion and corruption because Rawlings, Ken. Agyapong, PC Appiah Ofori, Integrity Initiative and other persons or groups has expressed similar concerns about his allegation. He further claims that the NDC MPs allegation captured the attention of of BBC and other international Media so it was necessary to call for the emergency of parliament. The investigation was uncalled for. It was waste of time and resources. However it has justified Nana Addo and vindicated Alan and the Trade and Industry Ministry. It has revealed for the second time the manipulation of Minority Chief Whip, Mustapha by NDC Party to make him stupiddddd in the eyes of ghanaians. It has also reveaed Okodjato as, rushinggg, myyopic, illogicalll, and adamantttt. He has not yat grown by coming to parliament but continue to be immatureeed. He needs to grow. Another important revelation about the investigation is that it is now moving away from investigation to auditing of Trade and Industry Ministry as it appears in the questions of the Deputy Minority Leader. I don't know if after his interrogation the Trade and Industry Ministry would still be audited by the Controller and Accountant General Department for their usual periodic auditing of the ministries.