Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has distanced himself from the alleged claims of Mr Adu Boahen, the former Minister for State at the Ministry of Finance, that he (VEEP) needed $200k as ‘appearance fee’ before investors can meet him.
This was when Mr Adu Boahen met Anas Aremeyaw Anas undercover investigators in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In a post on his Twitter handle, the vice president noted that if the claims contained in the Anas’ video that he, the Vice President, needed US$200,000 as an “appearance fee” from potential investors to have a meeting with him, then the minister should be “dismissed summarily and investigated.”
According to the Vice President, he was not aware of such a meeting, cautioning that his most cherished asset in life is his integrity and he will not allow anyone to use his name to engage in corrupt activities.
Meanwhile, the Founding President of Imani Center for Policy and Education, Franklin Cudjoe, has asserted that Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia does not need any financial ‘pimping’ (inducement) to carry out his duties as the Second Gentleman of the land, as allegedly suggested by Minister of State in Charge of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen, in the latest exposé by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
Mr Cudjoe said Mr Adu-Boahen was too excited when he met with the investigative team of Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who posed as Arab investors with millions of dollars to invest in Ghana. He, therefore, was not measured and engaged in grandstanding about people who were unaware of his dealing with the supposed Arab investors.
“When making business deals, one must always be measured. Grandstanding should be avoided at all cost, especially when it involves others who are unaware of the deals. Not sure Veep Bawumia needs financial ‘pimping’ from anyone. The Minister was too excited at the opportunity. Will wait for the full video though,” he commented yesterday on the exposé.
According to Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Charles Adu Boahen engaged in influence peddling on how he was capable of meeting with President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia to facilitate the work of the supposed investors using monetary inducement.
But for Mr Cudjoe, it is unlikely that Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia would need someone to influence them monetarily to facilitate such investments.
WHY THIS INVESTIGATION?
Tiger Eye said it investigates the high and the mightiest and this time its cameras infiltrated the impermeable underworld of the handlers whose seals make the deals that make Ghana attractive for investors or not.
It said many reports had cited corruption as the number one killer of investor confidence in Ghana, with the banking sector crisis further exacerbating the already fragile situation of investor confidence.
“Who are those making Ghana unattractive for investment? What’s their modus operandi? Where do they operate from? Tiger Eye penetrates and exposes the handlers who cut deals at the expense of the state.”
