Dr Kwabena Donkor, a former Power Minister says he is ready to be investigated for signing the Ghana Power Generation Company (GPGC) agreement if he is invited by the criminal investigation department (CID).
Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General earlier told Asaase News that those who signed the GPGC power purchase agreement will have to answer questions.
“Those who committed this agreement, with all respect, have to answer certain questions because first and foremost the agreement was entered into in circumstances where there was no need for such an agreement,” Dame said.
But in an interview with Beatrice Adu on The Big Bulletin, Dr Donkor said he did not err in signing the GPGC contract and will appear before the CID if invited.
“Well, if he [attorney general] wants to be the judge in his own court fine…if you are asking them to investigate, I don’t think you do this politicking on radio or TV.
“You expect an attorney general to be sober and then if he thinks there is a reason for investigations you make professionals do the work first before making pronouncements.”
He added, “It is his right as attorney general to ask for investigations and this is not going to be the first time that I have been investigated, remember Ameri and others.
“Fortunately, the Police CID is a very professional outfit. Of course, if they invite me, I will come and state the facts and the facts will speak for themselves.”
Dr Donkor added, “It is unfortunate when the attorney general cast aspersions on air even before investigations. It’s unfortunate.”
Listen to the audio below:
Background
In January 2021 the International Court of Arbitration awarded costs of US$134 million and interest of US$30 million against the Government of Ghana over its cancellation of an emergency power agreement with GPGC Ltd.
The contract was cancelled during the tenure of the former energy minister Boakye Agyarko, one of several arrangements scrapped by the NPP on the basis that Ghana did not need the power agreements.
The ruling by the International Court of Arbitration ordered the Government to Ghana to pay to “GPGC the full value of the early termination payment, together with mobilisation, demobilisation and preservation and maintenance costs in the amount of US$134,348,661, together also with interest thereon from 12 November 2018 until the date of payment, accruing daily and compounded monthly, at the rate of LIBOR for six-month US dollar deposits plus 6%”.
The Government of Ghana was also to pay GPGC an amount of “US$ 309,877.74 in respect of the costs of the arbitration, together with US$3,000,000 in respect of GPGC’s legal representation and the fees and expenses of its expert witness, together with interest on the aggregate amount of US$3,309,877.74 at the rate of LIBOR for three-month US dollar deposits, compounded quarterly”.
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