The Fourth Estate CMS

Author: Evans Aziamor-Mensah

  • Police admit planting “stranger” with bread in Baker-Vormawor’s cell as he sues for torture

    The Ghana Police Service has admitted planting a “stranger” in the cells of #Fixthecountry Convenor, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, when he was arrested and detained in the Ashaiman police cells.

    The Police said this formed part of its standard protocol for extracting information from cell inmates, according to court documents available to The Fourth Estate.

    “To gather information on cell remands, informants are sometimes planted in the cells. The informant was not placed in the cells to harm the applicant,” the police said.

    The police’s admission was contained in a response to a lawsuit filed by Barker-Vormawor, alleging torture and abuse of his rights during his arrest and detention early this year.

    In the lawsuit filed on June 30, 2022, Barker-Vormawor alleged that shortly after his arrest at the Kotoka International Airport, he was whisked away from the public’s view to a private office where three armed-men asked him whether he was the one calling himself Osagyefo and then, “proceeded to administer some slaps to my cheeks, punches to my stomach, and pushed me to the ground, stepped on me with their boots and spat on me.”

    Oliver-Barker-Vormawor
    Oliver Barker-Vormawor been brought to the High Court by the Police.

    Barker-Vormawor also alleged in the suit that when he attempted to use his phone while in detention at the said private office at the KIA, the “three armed-men wrestled my phone out of my hands and continued to kick me even more; the kicks got even severe I suddenly dropped from my chair and assumed a foetal position in an attempt to block further oncoming kicks and hits”.

    The lawsuit, which named the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney- General as defendants, further alleged that the unidentified officers who arrested Mr Barker-Vormawor used provocative invectives, including ethnic epithets, and threatened to assault him without leaving traces of bruise.

    “Because I continued to refuse to unlock my device, the gunmen continued to punch me in the stomach, while telling me that they know [sic] how to hit me without leaving bruises, spit on me and threatened to make me drink their urine just so I can see that I am nobody and nothing,” he alleged in his statement of claim.

    Planted cell mate  

    Barker-Vormawor claimed in the lawsuit that a muscular and heavily-built man was brought into the cells he was being kept on Sunday, February 13, 2022, and when the cell’s leaders asked what he was being detained for, he said he was an importer who had been arrested for issuing a dud cheque.

    Not long after, he said, the commander of the Ashaiman Police Station brought the said inmate an “exceptionally heavy” loaf of bread which contained a “penknife and a mobile phone”.

    The police admitted that a cell phone was found after Mr Barker-Vormawor instigated the cell inmates to break the bread but denied that it contained a pen-knife.

    “It is untrue that there was a hidden pen-knife in the loaf of bread given to the informant,” the police’s affidavit in opposition said.

    While Barker-Vormawor alleged that the planted cellmate was on a mission to harm him,  the police said that was untrue.

    The police also denied the claims by Barker-Vormawor that he was tortured.

    “The respondents[Ghana Police Service] state that while the applicant was at the VVIP lounge, he was handled in a professional manner until he was handed over to the police.”

    Reliefs

    Mr Vormawor, spent 34 days in detention, despite a legal action against his “unlawful detention.” He wants the court to declare that “by bringing me to the Ashaiman District Magistrate Court when they knew that a District Magistrate Court does not have the jurisdiction to consider the question of my personal liberty, the Respondents, their agents, officials or assigns or work men have violated my right to administrative justice and to personal liberty.”

    He also said the decision of the said court to commit him to remand and police custody while declining jurisdiction of the case violated his “rights to legal protection”.

    He also wants the court to declare as violations of his rights and personal liberty, the assault, violence, threats of harm, threats of death, harassment, and slaps administered to him by the police during his detention.

    The lawsuit comes as Mr. Vormawor is facing trial for treason felony at an Accra High Court. He was charged following the arrest for which he has sued the police.

    Background

    On February 10, 2022, Mr Barker-Vormawor wrote on Facebook, “If this E-Levy passes I will do the coup myself. Useless Army!”

    This followed pictures which emerged on social media from the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu’s 65th birthday party, showing an ‘E-levy’ cake.

    He was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport on arrival, detained and later charged with treason felony, an offence he is fighting in court. His lawyers and some Ghanaians believe his comment does not warrant the charge.

    “Until this morning, it was a misdemeanor, only to appear in court and be told he is being charged with treason felony which has no factual basis,” one of his lawyers, Mr Akoto Ampaw, said on the day that charged was slapped on his client.

  • Ghana’s 2016 Debt Servicing: Gabby Otchere-Darko’s figures false, Kwakye Ofosu’s misleading

    On Saturday, July 2, 2022, a day after the government announced its intention to engage the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for an economic recovery programme, Felix Kwakye Ofosu of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Gabby Otchere-Darko of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) were on Joy FM’s Newsfile programme to discuss the decision.

    While touting the economic records of the John Mahama-led NDC administration, Felix Kwakye Ofosu said the administration had allocated about 10.6 billion cedis for the payment of loans contracted by the government of Ghana.

    But Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko disagreed and said the NDC had rather made arrangements for GHS 18 billion for debt servicing.

    Fact-Check Ghana has verified the claims both Felix Kwakye Ofosu and Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko made and presents the facts below.

    Claim 1: “When we left power, our debt to GDP ratio was 57 per cent. We had total debt of 120 billion. Indeed, the highest amount we spent servicing the debt was GH₵10.6 billion Ghana cedis in 2016.,” Felix Kwakye Ofosu said.

    Verdict: Misleading

    Explanation: While the estimated interest payment is the projection by the government at the beginning of the financial year, the actual interest payment is what is spent on the payment of loans at the end of the financial year. In November 2015, when the annual budget was read by the Finance Minister, Seth Terkper, it was estimated that it would cost the state GH₵10.5 billion cedis to service debts the state owed.

    However, by the end of the 2016 financial year, the actual interest paid for the year rose above that figure.

    The 2017 mid-year budget review by Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, on July 31, 2017, stated that the actual interest payment by the government of Ghana in 2016 was GH₵ 11.5 billion.

    So instead of mentioning the actual figure of GH₵11.5 billion, Felix Kwakye Ofosu used the estimate of GH₵10.5 billion cedis contained in the 2016 budget, which was presented in November 2015.

    Appendix Table 2A: Summary of Central Government Operations – 2016. Source: pg 44,, 2017 mid-year budget review by the Minister of Finance.

    Putting up a feisty defence, Gabby Otchere-Darko said the NDC government had allocated about 18 billion for the payment of the country’s debt.

    Claim 2: “You have seen more money going into roads and debt servicing. I have heard Felix say that when they left office, it was 10 billion. It was not 10 billion. [In] 2016, it was 18 billion [cedis],” Mr Otchere-Darko said.

    Verdict: False

    Gabby Otchere-Darko’s figure was not contained in the 2016 annual budget of the finance minister nor the 2017 mid-year budget review on July 31, 2017. As can be referenced in the table above, the finance minister of his party’s administration mentioned GH₵ 11.5 billion, and not the GH₵18 billion he claimed on Newsfile.

  • The contradictions in Paul Adom-Otchere and Transport Ministry’s response on airport X’mas trees saga

    The contradictions in Paul Adom-Otchere and Transport Ministry’s response on airport X’mas trees saga

    The Ministry of Transport has said in a recent communication that there was no procurement nor bidding process in the controversial airport Christmas tree saga.

    The ministry made the claim in response to a right to information request filed by Redeemer Buatsi, a fellow of the New Generation Investigative Journalism Fellowship of the Media Foundation for West Africa.

    In January this year, news circulated on social media alleging that the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) had misused public funds in the purchase of Christmas decorations and trees that were mounted at Kotoka International Airport in 2021.

    Redeemer Buatsi, in an RTI request to the company, sought to ascertain the facts about the viral allegations. The GACL referred the journalist to the Ministry of Transport for the information.

    “Please be informed that the Christmas decorations for 2021 was rented and not procured for by the GACL. Hence there was no procurement nor bidding process for the award of contract,” the Ministry of Transport in a letter dated June 10, 2022, responded to Redeemer’s request.

    The Ministry added that the “Christmas decorations in question were rented and paid for by a sponsor. Therefore, no contract was awarded by GACL for the purpose.”

    Months before the Transport Ministry’s response, the Board Chairman of GACL, Paul Adom-Otchere had responded to the allegations of imprudent use of public funds in the procurement of the Christmas trees.

    In a statement on his Facebook page on January 7, Mr. Paul Adom-Otchere said the viral claims were “grossly misrepresenting facts about Christmas inspirations that were mounted at the Kotoka International Airport”.

    His statement explained further:

    “FACT: Two separate suppliers were invited to submit bids. The bids were discussed and discounts obtained. (We are grateful to Jandel Limited and Favors and Arts)

    FACT: The beautiful Christmas tree standing at Terminal 3 and 3 others altogether cost GHC 34,000, which was graciously provided by Jandel Limited at a heavy discount. (We thank Jandel Limited)

    “FACT: The other inspirations were provided by Favors and Arts for a total cost of GHC 84,000 out of which GHC 50,000 was obtained via sponsorship.”

    Mr Adom-Otchere, who’s also the host of the Good Evening Ghana programme on Metro TV, followed his Facebook statement up with an explanation on his TV show on January 11.

    “We put out a statement that the Christmas tree was bought for 34,000 cedis,” he emphasised how much the GACL paid for the tree while referring to an invoice on a touch screen monitor in the studio.

    Mr Adom-Otchere further explained in his TV presentation that the GACL secured sponsorship support from DDP, an advertising company, who paid GHS 50,000 out of the GHS 128,366 that the GACL should have borne for the decorations.

    Paul Adom-Otchere explained on TV that a sponsor paid GHS 50,000 out of the GHS 128,366 that the GACL should have borne for the decorations

    Comparing the response from Transport Ministry with the explanation Mr Paul Adom-Otchere, provided on the Christmas decoration at the airport, Fact-Check Ghana finds inconsistencies in the claims. Below we present three contradictions from the responses.

    1. Whether there was a procurement process or not

    Paul Adom-Otchere: “Two separate suppliers were invited to submit bids. The bids were discussed and discounts obtained (We are grateful to Jandel Limited and Favors and Arts)”

    Ministry of Transport: “There was no procurement nor bidding process for the award of contract”

    Thus, while the Board chairman of the GACL, Paul Adom-Otchere, said that they invited bids and selected Janel limited and Favours and Arts for the provision of the Christmas decorations, the Ministry stated that nothing of the sort happened.

    1. Whether the decorations were bought or rented

    Paul Adom-Otchere: The GACL bought the Christmas trees for GHS 34,000.

    Ministry of Transport: The GACL rented the decorations. “The rented decorations will have to be returned to the owners.”

    Whereas Paul Adom-Otchere intimated that the Christmas trees were bought at a discounted price of GHS 34,000, the ministry said the GACL did not buy any of the decorations. The ministry maintained that they rented them and hence will have to return them to the owners.

    1. The cost GACL eventually incurred on decorations

    Paul Adom-Otchere: A sponsor paid GHS 50,000 out of GHS 128,366 cost for the decorations. GACL, therefore, spent GHS 78,366 on the decorations.

    Ministry of Transport: “Christmas decorations in question were rented and paid for by a sponsor.”

    While Paul Adom-Otchere explained that a sponsor paid GHS 50,000 out of GHS 128,366 (39%) of the cost spent on the decorations, the ministry suggested the sponsor covered the entire cost of the decorations.

  • Video: Zammrama Line youth overpower “soldiers” in land fight  

    When armed “soldiers” in uniform descended on the Zammrama Line community in Accra, it set the stage for a violent confrontation Monday afternoon.

    In the video available to The Fourth Estate, a “soldier” could be seen pointing an assault rifle at the youth and shouting, “Come! Come! Come, I will shoot you!”

    At least four people were shot and wounded in the process.

    The community members fought back and disarmed the “soldiers”. They then arrested three of them and handed them over to the police.

    The youth who fought back broke the glasses and immobilised one of the vehicles used by the soldiers– an SUV with registration number GG 1728-16.

    The Fourth Estate sources say a politician at the presidency had the soldiers and party thugs dressed as soldiers to protect a disputed parcel of land in the area.

    A source close to the military told The Fourth Estate the veracity of that claim would be established after the investigation.

    Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service says it has arrested the purported “soldiers’’ to assist with investigations into the matter.

    A statement released by the police confirmed the identity of a soldier, Sergeant Isaac Abbey, as one of those arrested. He allegedly shot and wounded four persons, who were later taken to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for treatment.

    “Two of the arrested persons, suspects Godfred Amegbor and Ofei Darko, who were posing as soldiers also sustained some injuries and were sent to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for treatment.

    ALSO READ: KILLED BY THE BULLET: Fatal Police, military brutality victims since 2017

    “In their statements to the police, the two claimed to be military personnel but the claim has not been established by our investigations.

    “Investigations are ongoing and all the suspects will be taken through the due process of the law,” police statement said.

    Below is an amateur video of the clash:

  • Special Prosecutor freezes assets of Sir John

    The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has frozen the assets of the former Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John.

    Sources within the OSP who have confirmed the freezing of assets to The Fourth Estate say it is one of the measures adopted as part of ongoing investigations into suspected corruption-related offences into the assets acquired by the late Forestry Commission CEO.

    The OSP began investigations following a petition by Corruption Watch to the OSP to investigate the acquisition of state lands.

    Corruption Watch petitioned the OSP after The Fourth Estate published the will of Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.

    The OSP said last week that it had begun “full investigations into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of alleged improper acquisition of state lands at the Achimota Forest enclave and Ramsar catchment in Accra by the former CEO of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie alias Sir John (now deceased) and other two persons.”

    The statement signed by Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, asked the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to cooperate in the investigations.

    The wealth Mr. Afriyie bequeathed to his family and loved ones has shocked many Ghanaians since The Fourth Estate exclusively revealed the contents of his will. Of particular interest have been the large parcels of land he owned at the Achimota Forest and the Ramsar site, a protected area he had warned people against acquiring land while he was in office.

    Corruption Watch petitioned the Special Prosecutor “to investigate the alleged acquisition of several acres of alleged state lands situated in the Achimota Forest and Ramsar sites in Sakumono by three artificial persons namely Jakaypros Limited, Fasoh Limited, DML Limited, and two natural persons namely Charles Owusu, an officer of the Forestry Commission and Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John, now deceased, who served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission from March 2017 until July 2020.”

    Per the laws regulating asset declaration in Ghana—Article 286 of the 1992 Constitution and Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act—Mr Afriyie should have declared his assets upon assumption of office in 2017.

    The Fourth Estate’s checks from the Auditor-General’s department, however, revealed he did not.

    Background

    A few days after the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John A. Jinapor, announced the declassification of parts of the Achimota Forest as a forest reserve, The Fourth Estate revealed that Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie had already acquired some portions of the Achimota Forest lands through Fasoh Limited, DML limited and jointly with some named individuals. The details were contained in his will.

    Not long after The Fourth Estate‘s publication of contents of the will, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, in a statement on May 24, 2022, said its checks at the Lands Commission “show no record of ownership of lands, at the Achimota Forest or the Sakumono Ramsar Site, by the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.”

    That did not stop some civil society groups from demanding further action. Besides the petition by Corruption Watch to the Special Prosecutor, 14 other civil society organisations have also filed a petition to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the acquisition of state lands by the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.

    Assets of Sir John

    In Sir John’s will, The Fourth Estate listed at least 75 individual assets he left for his family and loved ones.

    HOUSES

    1. House on plot number GA54480 located in Ogbojo, East Legon, and acquired on February 12, 2018
    2. House on plot number GA 55329 located at Oyarifa No. 2, acquired on May 11, 2018
    3. House plot number GA 55475 located at Oyarifa No.1, acquired on September 27, 2017
    4. House on plot number GA 5881 located at Adjiringanor, Accra, (white House), acquired on August 7, 2019.
    5. A 6-bedroom house located at Patangbe, Ogbojo, near East Legon.
    6. A  4-bedroom house located in Mempeheusem, East Legon
    7. A 3-bedroom house on plot number TDA 4140 located in Mempehuesem, East Legon
    8. Another 3-bedroom house on plot number TDA 4140 located in Mempehuesem, East Legon
    9. A 4-bedroom house on plot number GA56838 located in East Legon and acquired on October 25, 2018
    10. A 5-bedroom house located in Sakora Wonoo
    11. A 4-storey building located in East Legon, with 10 apartments, each apartment consisting of 3-bedrooms; and five apartments, each consisting of two bedrooms.

    LANDS

    1. Two plots of land located in Ahenema Kokoben in the Ashanti Region
    2. Two plots of land with registration number GA56921 located in Oyarifa, which were acquired on November 6, 2018.
    3. A 5.541-acre land located in Achimota Forest held in the name of Jakaypros Limited
    4. A 0.987-acre land located in Achimota Forest held in the name of Fasoh Limited
    5. Unspecified piece of land located in the Achimota Forest jointly owned with Charles Owusu
    6. An unspecified piece of land held in the name of DML located in the Achimota forest
    7. A 5.07-acre land at the Ramsar site, Sakumono
    8. Five plots of land located at Millenium city, Kasoa
    9. One plot of land with certificate number GA60802, located at Mempeheusem, East Legon, acquired on December 13, 2019.
    10. Two plots of land approximately of 0.40acres located at No.7 ARS Lane, Ogbojo, near East legon
    11. One plot of land near the Chain Homes Estate at East Airport Hills.
    12. A piece of land numbered plot 139 located within the Adentaman District (aka Aviation land).

    PRIVATE VEHICLES

    1. Lexus LX570
    2. Ford Fusion
    3. Lexus V6
    4. Nissan Titan Pick Up V8
    5. Mercedes Benz E68 Sport AMG
    6. Honda Pilot V6
    7. Honda Accord Sport
    8. Toyota Landcruiser V8
    9. Ford 150
    10. Honda Accord 2.0 Touring
    11. Toyota Rav 4, 2019 model
    12. Chevrolet Cruze
    13. Lexus Saloon Car, 2019 model

    GUNS

    37. Five pump-action guns

    42. Clothing

    BANK ACCOUNTS

    43. National Investment Bank, account no. 1802092960501

    1. CBG, account no. 0302239130003
    2. GT Bank- in the name of Ruth Korkor Odonkor
    3. GT Bank-in the name of Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie
    4. Fidelity Bank, account no. 1060032907210
    5. ADB, in the name of Jakaypros Limited
    6. United States Bank, Wells Fargo, in the name of Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie
    7. Canadian Bank Account, Royal Bank, in the name of Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie

    INVESTMENTS

    1. ADB: Two million cedis (2,000,000.00), expected to mature in April 2020.
    2. Two hundred and fifty thousand Ghana cedis (GHc 250,000) with NTHC which stood at GHc 303,720.22 as at July 31, 2019.
    3. Joint gold production investment with Francis Owusu

    Joint ownership in gold production investment with:

    1. ROTL,
    2. FASOH
    3. MBL

    HOSPITAL

    1. Afriyie Memorial Hospital, located at Sakora Wonoo

    OTHER BUSINESSES

    1. A fuel Station located at Kentinkrono in the Ashanti region
    2. Fuel tanker vehicles (10 in number)
    3. One teak plantation located at Nkawie in the Ashanti Region
    4. Rubber plantation located in the Eastern Region

    72 Stalls located at the new Kejetia market, Kumasi (3 in number)

    1. Farms at Ejura in the Ashanti Region.

    Sir John had given the following assets to Agnes Boakye (aka Akosua Darkoah) while he was alive.

    They are:

    1. A house at East Legon Hills
    2. A house in Kumasi, Ashanti region
    3. Vehicles (numbering two 2)
    4. A store at Kejetia Market

    ALSO READ:

    Flashback: Sir John deployed 12 state forest guards to his mining company in a forest reserve

    Sir John’s beneficiaries won’t get Achimota Forest, Ramsar site lands–Gov’t

     

     

  • The 19 Akufo-Addo ministers who fully complied with assets declaration law

    The 19 Akufo-Addo ministers who fully complied with assets declaration law

    Between March 2017 and March 2019, politicians dressed in flowing robes and in kente of kaleidoscope of colours descended on the Jubilee House.

    Their mission was to swear oaths of office, which among others, enjoined them to protect and defend the constitution. That constitution required them to declare their assets before taking office.

    President Akufo-Addo on July 18, 2017, declared that all his appointees had declared their assets.

    Five years on, The Fourth Estate tracked if indeed they lived up to that oath.

    In a Right to Information (RTI) request to the Audit service, The Fourth Estate found that only 18 out of the more than 120 ministers complied fully with the constitutional provision in Article 268 (1) of the 1992 Constitution.

    1. Dominic Nitiwul

    Dominic Nitiwul was appointed Minister of Defence in 2017. He declared his assets for the first term on March 20, 2017, and October 6, 2020. After his reappointment in 2021, he fulfilled this constitutional obligation on August 16, 2021.

    1. Owusu Afriyie Akoto: He is the current Minister of Food & Agriculture.

    He declared his assets on January 23, 2017, when he was appointed for the first term.

    Dr. Afriyie did his exit declaration of assets in March 26, 2021, three months after Akufo-Addo’s first term ended.

    On April 1, 2021, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto declared his assets for the second term as required by the law after he got the nod from parliament to serve as Agriculture Minister.

    1. Cecilia Abena Dapaah: She is the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources. Ms Dapaah declared her assets on March 15, 2017 when she was first appointed to serve and did her exit declaration on March 2, 2021. On her reappointment in 2021, she fulfilled the requirements of the law on March 12, 2021.
    1. Ignatius Baffuor Awuah: He is the current Minister of Employment and Labour Relations. He declared his assets on March 14, 2017, and March 15, 2021. When the president appointed him again to serve in the same position in 2021, Mr. Awuah declared his assets on April 27, 2021.
    1. Alima Mahama: She was appointed to serve as the Minister of Local Government & Rural Development. The one-time Minister declared her assets on March 14, 2017, and March 30, 2021, respectively.
    1. Alan K. Kyerematen: As Trade and Industry Minister, he declared his assets three times as required by the law. He did his entry declaration on March 14, 2017, and exit on March 31, 2021. On March 31, 2021, he again declared his assets for his second term as a minister.
    1. Gloria Afua Akuffo: She declared her assets at the beginning of her term as Attorney-General & Minister of Justice on February 21, 2017, and at the end of her tenure on January 5, 2021.
    1. Anthony Akoto Osei: Another one-term minister, he also declared his assets on March 14, 2017, and at the end of his term on April 28, 2021.
    1. Otiko Afisa Djaba: She declared her assets on September 14, 2017, and declared again when she resigned as Gender, Children & Social Protection Minister. That declaration was done on May 23, 2018.
    1. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal: As the Business Development Minister in 2017, he declared his assets on March 14, 2017, and March 15, 2021, two months after the president’s tenure came to an end. On his reappointment to serve in the president’s second term as Tourism Minister, he declared his assets on March 15, 2021.
    1. Eric Kwakye Darfour: On his appointment as the Eastern Regional minister in 2017, he declared his assets on February 2, 2017, and February 24, 2021, when he exited office.
    1. Joseph Cudjoe: He declared his assets when he was appointed to serve in government in 2017, on June 15, 2017. He declared again when the president’s first term ended on March 30, 2021. On the same day, March 30, 2021, he made his entry declaration for his reappointment.
    1. Godfred Yeboah Dame: When he served as the deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice in the first term of President Akufo-Addo, Mr. Dame declared his assets on July 20, 2017. He filed his exit declaration on January 26, 2021. On his elevation to the position of Attorney General in this second term of the president, he declared his assets on May 25, 2021.
    1. Yaw Osei Adutwum: Having served as the Deputy Education Minister from 2017 to 2021, he declared his assets on June 14,2017, and February 8, 2021.On August 10, 2021, Mr. Adutwum, declared his assets following his appointment as the current minister of Education.
    1. Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover: He served as the deputy transport minister between 2017 and 2021. He declared his assets as required by law on September 7, 2017 and October 6, 2020.
    1. Freda Prempeh: As a member of parliament for Tano North Constituency in the Ahafo Region, she declared her assets on March 31, 2017. Upon her appointment as the deputy minister for Works & Housing, August 11, 2017, she declared her assets again. Four months before the 2020 election, on October 8, 2020, she again declared her assets. On her appointment as the deputy minister of Gender, Children & Social Protection, she declared her assets on August 11, 2021.
    1. Eugene Boakye Antwi: He declared his assets as the Deputy Minister of  Works & Housing on September 27, 2017, and on September 28, 2020. On February 12, 2021, he again declared his assets as a member of parliament for Subin Constituency in the Ashanti Region. Interestingly, he also filed his assets and liabilities as an aspiring member of Parliament on June 14, 2017. He filed both in Kumasi and Accra.

    18.Elizabeth Agyemang: As the Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, she declared her assets on March 9, 2017 and on March 9, 2020 when she was exiting office.

    19. Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh

    The former Minister of Education first declared his assets on March 1, 2017. Subsequent ones were done on March 31, 2021, and April 1, 2021, as Minister of Energy.

    What does the Asset Declaration law say?

    By law, ministers are to declare their assets within six months in office and latest six months after the end of a government’s first term.

    Article 268 (1) of the 1992 Constitution states that “a person who holds a public office mentioned in clause (5) of this Article shall submit to the Auditor-General a written declaration of all property or assets owned by, or liabilities owed by, him whether directly or indirectly (a) within three months after the coming into force of this Constitution or before taking office, as the case may be, (b) at the end of every four years; and (b) at the end of his term of office.”

    The Constitution requires the declaration to be done before the public officer takes office. However, Section 1(4)(c) of the Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act directs public office holders to meet this requirement not later than six months after taking office, at the end of every four years and not later than six months at the end of his or her term.

    The law requires that the President, Vice-President, the Speaker, Deputy Speakers of Parliament, ministers and deputy ministers of state, ambassadors, the Chief Justice and managers of public institutions in which the state has interest submit to the Auditor-General written declarations of all property or assets owned by, or liabilities owed by them, whether directly or indirectly.

    Adwoa Adobea-Owusu, Paul Gozo, Prosper Prince Midedzi & Seth J. Bokpe contributed to this story. 

  • Government gives over 400 acres of military, other state land to Asantehene

    The government has given more than 400 acres of state lands, including a section of the military barracks in Kumasi, to the Asantehene.

    The Fourth Estate has sighted a directive to public institutions to that effect. It is signed by the Chief Director of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council, Mrs. Emelia Ayebeng Botchway, on behalf of the Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah.

    The letter cites the issuance of “Executive Instrument 432 of 2021 by Government in respect of Redevelopment of Sector 18 of Kumasi, which was published in the Ghana Gazette on 31st December 2021.”

    The legislative instrument, the directive said, “has revested and released a portion of the state land at the Ridge Residential Area in Kumasi to the Asantehene on behalf of and in trust of the Golden Stool”.

    “The released portion with an area of 409.24 acres spans from the North-Western Section of the Military barracks near Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. The site is along the Bekwai road as its Western Boundary to the Santasi Round About, with the Southern By-Pass as the Southern Boundary. The land also lies towards Dakwodwom to the KCC/State Experimental School, along the Danyame Stream to the north, with the Cedar Road as the Eastern Boundary,” the directive said.

    “The revested land contains both privately-owned properties to be maintained and state bungalows to be relocated to the area retained by Government,” the directive added.

    “All leaseholders of private and public residential and other properties within the revested area are also to attorn tenancy to the Asantehene. This means annual ground rent has to be paid to the Golden Stool by all lessees with the coming into force of the Executive Instrument (E.I.) 432, with the Asantehene possessing the reversionary interest,” it said.

    In February last year, a private developer built a wall across an asphalt road in the Ridge area in Kumasi, sparking public condemnation. Our sources say this is part of the land given to Asantehene by the government.

    That blockage affected movement to the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council, the office of the regional minister.

    A private developer last year built a wall across an asphalt road in the Ridge area in Kumasi, cutting affecting movement to the Regional Coordinating Council. Photo Credit: citinewsroom.com

    The Fourth Estate has tried to reach the Ashanti Regional Minister for a comment, but he did not answer our phone calls. His press aide, however, said he could not comment on the subject since the regional coordinating council was the right body to communicate on the matter. He directed that we should speak with the minister himself.

    When The Fourth Estate contacted the regional Minister through a Kumasi-based journalist, he said he would not comment on the matter. He said whoever wanted information on the land given to the Asantehene should go to the Lands Commission.

    We also reached out to the Asantehene’s secretary on whether the government had officially communicated the content of the letter to the Asantehene. He has promised to revert with a response later.

    The Fourth Estate, however, got a confirmation from the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, who said the government had issued an executive instrument giving some state lands in Kumasi to the Asantehene.

    This news of giving state land in Kumasi to the Asantehene comes in the wake of the controversial declassification of the Achimota forest by the government.

    Executive Instrument 144, which declassified the Achimota forest, came into effect on May 1, 2022, announcing the cessation of a large portion of the Achimota Forest as a reserve.

    “An Executive Instrument (E.I.) 144 gazetted on behalf of President Akufo-Addo by the Lands Minister Samuel Abdulai Jinapor indicates that effective May 1, 2022, the land on which the forest is located shall cease to be a forest reserve.

    “The President’s action was in accordance with Section 19 of the Forest Act, 1927 (CAP. 157), which gives him the authority to declare that particular land is no longer required as a forest reserve,” the executive instrument said.

    The action on Achimota was greeted with public outrage, with many describing it as a ploy to sell state lands to politicians and the elite.

    The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, dismissed the accusations. The government said the Achimota Forest lands were only being given back to the Owoo family, who are the original owners of the land.

    That justification, however, suffered a credibility crisis when The Fourth Estate broke the story of how the late chief executive officer of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, alias Sir John, willed large parcels of Achimota lands to his relatives.

    The Lands and Natural Resources Ministry said it would investigate the state lands contained in the will. A statement from the ministry said the state would take over the Achimota Forest lands and the Sakumono Ramsar site land also contained in the will.

    ALSO READ: 

    FULL LIST: All the 75 properties contained in Sir John’s will

    FULL DETAILS: Achimota Forest lands, gold businesses and guns in Sir John’s will

  • Special Prosecutor begins investigations into Sir John’s assets

    Special Prosecutor begins investigations into Sir John’s assets

    The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has begun investigations into suspected corruption-related offences into the assets acquired by the former chief executive officer of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.

    This follows a petition by Corruption Watch to the OSP to investigate the acquisition of state lands following The Fourth Estate‘s publication of the will of Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.

    In a press statement issued today, the OSP said it had begun “full investigations into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of alleged improper acquisition of state lands at the Achimota Forest enclave and Ramsar catchment in Accra by the former Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie alias Sir John (now deceased) and other two persons.”

    The statement signed by Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, asked the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to cooperate in the investigations.

    The wealth Mr Afriyie bequeathed to his family and loved ones has shocked many Ghanaians since The Fourth Estate exclusively revealed the contents of his will. Of particular interest have been the large parcels of land he owned at the Achimota Forest and the Ramsar site, a protected area he had warned people against acquiring land while he was in office.

    Corruption Watch petitioned the Special Prosecutor “to investigate the alleged acquisition of several acres of alleged state lands situated in the Achimota Forest and Ramsar sites in Sakumono by three artificial persons namely Jakaypros Limited, Fasoh Limited, DML Limited, and two natural persons namely Charles Owusu, an officer of the Forestry Commission and Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John, now deceased, who served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission from March 2017 until July 2020.”

    Per the laws regulating asset declaration in Ghana—Article 286 of the 1992 Constitution and Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act—Mr Afriyie should have declared his assets upon assumption of office in 2017.

    The Fourth Estate’s checks from the Auditor-General’s department, however, revealed he did not.

    Background

    A few days after the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John A. Jinapor, announced the declassification of parts of the Achimota Forest as a forest reserve, The Fourth Estate revealed that Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie had already acquired some portions of the Achimota Forest lands through Fasoh Limited, DML limited and jointly with some named individuals. The details were contained in his will.

    Not long after The Fourth Estate‘s publication of contents of the will, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, in a statement on May 24, 2022, said its checks at the Lands Commission “show no record of ownership of lands, at the Achimota Forest or the Sakumono Ramsar Site, by the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.”

    That did not stop some civil society groups from demanding further action. Besides the petition by Corruption Watch to the Special Prosecutor, 14 other civil society organisations have also filed a petition to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the acquisition of state lands by the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.

  • Flashback: Sir John deployed 12 state forest guards to his mining company in a forest reserve

    When a mining company, Fasoh Multi Services Limited, presented the Forestry Commission with a pick-up truck in 2019, the commission’s then chief executive, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, was full of praise for them.

    He described the donation as an “important milestone”, stating that it was going to help the Commission to monitor and enforce laws against the destruction of Ghana’s forest reserves.

    Mr. Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John, also assured the company of the commission’s support to undertake exploration in some areas of the forest.

    Fasoh Multi Services then requested Ghana’s forestry regulator to assist the company with guards to monitor and protect its mining concession in the Upper Wassaw Forest Reserve.

    The commission deployed 12 Forest guards to the mining company after the request, according to the commission’s website.

    It has now emerged that the said mining company, Fasoh Multi Services Limited, was jointly owned by the late Sir John.

    In his will, one of the controversial lands he owned at the Achimota Forest is held in the name of the company.

    Sir John wrote, “I give my land also situated at the Achimota Forest in the name of Fasoh Limited and measuring 0.987acres to my nephews Michael Owusu, Yaw Boadu and Kwabena Amoateng forever.”

    It continued:

    In another part of the will, he disclosed his business interest in the company: “I have a similar ownership in gold production in Rotl, Fasoh, MBL who can be contacted through Francis Owusu.”

    The mining company forms part of a long list of 75 properties, including houses, parcels of land, bank accounts, investments, businesses, guns and clothes to be distributed among the named persons in the will by the late former NPP General Secretary.

    From the will, some of these properties were registered while Sir John was serving as the Chief executive of the Forestry Commission from 2017-2020.

    It is unclear when he acquired interests in mining businesses, but some commentators on his will have suggested he might have put himself in a conflict of interest situation.

    It is also unclear whether the mining company ever paid for the Forestry Commission guards that were deployed to it.

    Meanwhile, information The Fourth Estate has requested and received from the Audit Service reveals that Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie did not declare his assets before taking office and did not declare them throughout his tenure as the CEO of the Forestry Commission.

    Per the laws regulating asset declaration in Ghana—Article 286 of the 1992 Constitution and Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act—Mr Afriyie should have declared assets relating to the following:

    (a) lands, houses and buildings;
    (b) farms;
    (c) concessions;
    (d) trust or family property in respect of which the officer has beneficial interest;
    (e) vehicles, plant and machinery, fishing boats, trawlers, generating plants;
    (f) business interests;
    (g) securities and bank balances;
    (h) bonds and treasury bills;
    (i) jewellery of the value of ¢5 million [now ¢500] or above; objects of art of the value of ¢5 million or above;
    (j) life and other insurance policies;
    (k) such other properties as are specified on the declaration form.

    Sir John had a long list of properties, including 13 houses at various locations in Accra, Kumasi and his hometown, Sakora Wonoo, in the Ashanti Region.

    Meanwhile, the government has stated that beneficiaries of Sir John’s will shall not get the Achimota Forest and Ramsar site lands contained in the will.

    Barely 24 hours following The Fourth Estate‘s publication of contents o the will, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, in a statement on May 24, 2022, said its checks at the Lands Commission “show no record of ownership of lands, at the Achimota Forest or the Sakumono Ramsar Site, by the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.”

    From the details available to The Fourth Estate, it will not be strange not to find any records of Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie relating to the lands. He appeared to have acquired them through certain companies that were not linked to him until his death or with other persons named in his will. That has been the case in all the Achimota Forest lands he named in his will.

    The ministry’s statement, which is signed by the sector minister, Samuel A. Jinapor, however, did not end there.

    “That said, given the totality of the circumstances of the said allegations, I, as Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, have directed the Lands and Forestry Commissions to deem any ownership of lands, both, in the Achimota Forest and the Sakumono Ramsar Site by the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie as void and are to take the appropriate actions accordingly,” the statement said.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the bequeathing of the aforesaid lands, if established, will not pass any interest/title to the named beneficiaries in the alleged will. These lands, the subject matter of the alleged will, shall remain public lands, whether or not it falls within the de-gazetted lands pursuant to EI 144,” the statement added.

  • How the dismissed PPA CEO cleared all the funds in his “frozen” bank accounts

    How the dismissed PPA CEO cleared all the funds in his “frozen” bank accounts

    Information available to The Fourth Estate indicates that the dismissed chief executive officer of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), Adjenim Boateng Adjei, has withdrawn all the money from his bank accounts that were frozen when investigations into his activities began.

    According to our sources, he cleared his accounts of all the funds before the current Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, took office.

    One of the major revelations in the “Contracts for Sale” scandal that saw the dismissal of Mr Adjei was the huge amount of “unexplained” money found to have been deposited into his bank accounts while he was in office.

    Mr. Adjei was in office for two and a half years and more than GHc41 million cedis was paid in cash into his Cedi, Dollar and Euro accounts.

    Following the “Contracts for Sale” investigative documentary produced by Manasseh Azure Awuni, President Akufo-Addo suspended AB Adjei in August 2019.

    The investigation revealed that Mr. Adjei formed a company, Talent Discovery Limited, with his brother-in-law after his appointment as the CEO of the PPA. This company won a number of government contracts through the restrictive tendering method. The contracts were approved by the PPA board of which Mr. Adjei was a member.

    Talent Discovery Limited, the investigations found, did not have the capacity to execute the contracts. It then sold the contracts to individuals and companies without the knowledge or approval of the awarding entities.

    Beyond the suspension, the president referred Mr. Adjei to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate his conduct.

    The Ghana Integrity Initiative, Ghana’s chapter of Transparency International, also petitioned CHRAJ to probe Mr. Adjei and the board of the PPA for their role in the scandal.

    In 2020, CHRAJ released its investigative report on the president’s petition. It found Mr Adjei guilty of conflict of interest and other offences.

    CHRAJ banned Mr Adjei from holding public office for 10 years. He appealed the ban at the high court and lost.

    CHRAJ also revealed that the total amount in Mr. Adjei’s accounts since he assumed office in 2017 stood at GHc14.8 million.

    “We find the Respondent’s [Mr. Adjei’s] explanation completely unsatisfactory and that he could not explain the source of the large volumes of excess wealth that passed through his bank accounts between March 2017 and August 2019 (unexplained wealth),” CHRAJ’s report said.

    The Special Prosecutor at the time, Martin ABK Amidu, released a press statement in which he commended CHRAJ for its report.

    “The only problem with the CHRAJ report is that for some reason it understates the amounts disclosed by the bank statements from the three bank accounts of Mr. Adjei exhaustively reviewed by the Auditor-General and this Office,” Mr Amidu said.

    The Special Prosecutor disclosed that from 2017 to August 19, 2019, Mr. Adjei had 15,691,559.30 Cedis, USD 4,467,655 and 54,500 Euros deposited into his three bank accounts.

    Both CHRAJ and the Special Proscutor at the time said prior to assuming office, the amounts deposited into Mr Adjei’s accounts were insignificant when compared with what went into his account during his time in office.

    In fact, the CHRAJ Report said “the Respondent [Mr. Adjei] opened USD Account Number 9040002473180 at the Stanbic Bank on 03 April 2017, after his appointment as CEO of PPA.”

    Martin Amidu said, “I froze the bank accounts of all the suspects together with their legal entities.”

    Information available to The Fourth Estate, however, indicates all the monies in the accounts have been withdrawn.

    Our sources say, the freezing order expired and Mr. Adjei applied to the court to have it lifted. The sources say the OSP could not have kept the account frozen for more than 12 months without acting on the reason for which the account was frozen.

    The Fourth Estate’s sources further revealed that when Martin Amidu resigned from office in 2020, investigations into the “Contracts for Sale” scandal stalled.

    In the intervening period between his resignation and the assumption of office of his successor, AB Adjei went to court and had the freezing order lifted.

    He then proceeded to clear all the funds in the various accounts he held.

    According to sources, other state agencies such as the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) could have frozen the accounts when the OSP’s order had expired. If this was done, the accounts would still remain frozen by the time the case was ready for prosecution.

    The FIC, according to sources, is the body that could have flagged and dealt with the huge sums of cash deposits passing through Mr. Adjei’s accounts even if he was not involved in the “Contracts for Sale” scandal.

    In February 2022, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, said his office would soon announce the conclusion and further actions to be taken on three corruption-related cases soon.

    The three were among 45 corruption cases that were being investigated by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), and the “Contracts for Sale” was one of the three.

    It is yet to be seen whether the prosecution would focus on Mr. Adjei’s and his company’s involvement in the sale of the government contracts or the “unexplained” wealth he accumulated while in office or both.