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Entertainment & Trends

Finance Minister charged to disclose GH₵ 300m judgement debt beneficiaries

By : Kofi Kafui Sampson on 15 Jul 2019, 10:52

Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister for Finance

The Former Deputy Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, has called on the Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta to disclose the companies and individuals that benefited from the estimated ₵300 million judgment debt he announced.

The Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta announced to parliament last week that government has paid a sum of GH₵ 300 million as judgment debt that was inherited by President Nana Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

Speaking to Citi Business News, the Former Deputy Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, argued that some of the payments are questionable and needs further probing.

Mr Ato Forson said the Finance Minister must break down the number of people the Ministry paid and those who received their payment.

He said a Minister cannot come to parliament and make a general statement that they have paid an amount of 285 million in judgment debt.

“A minister cannot just come to parliament and tell us they have paid a judgement debt without telling us who was paid,” he said.

“It has come to his notice that the ministry has paid likes of Mactan, Bank Switched and the Special Prosecutor an amount of the judgement debt. Whether they qualify to receive that amount or not, it’s something we have to investigate it”

“That is why I requested from the Minister responsible for Finance to give us the break down,” he said.

He added that Bank Switch do not deserve 80 million from the Judgment Debt because before they left office, the Finance Ministry negotiated that the ministry was not going to pay any 80% interest on the debt.

“My argument is that, in the case of Bank Switch you notice that the Minister in his answer said that about 80 million was paid to one particular company. I suspect that is Bank switch, and that is why I asked that question”