Censure Motion: Ablakwa grills Ken over national cathedral 'cash' as majority mount defence

Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta appeared confused at the Ad-Hoc committee on his censure motion filed by the Minority in Parliament when quizzed by Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Hon. Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa for spending public funds on the construction of the national cathedral without parliament's approval.

He debunked the claim that the ministry under his watch made payment from the contingency fund to support the building of the national cathedral.

The underfire minister noted that the proponents confused the contingency fund with the contingency vault. According to him, funds withdrawn for the purpose of building the national cathedral was lawfully done from the contingency vault.

However, Hon. Ablakwa exposed this claim by quoting verbatim statements made by the proponents on the expenditure where no such statements were made.

The minister in a confused state then made a U-turn after clarification from Hon. Patrick Boamah, MP for Okaikoi Central that the fund in question is rather unconstitutional expenditure from the consolidated fund and not a contingency fund or vault.

In the substantive case, although the finance minister maintains that the funds for the national cathedral was legitimate, Hon. Ablakwa stressed that no report captured the said amount were spent from the contingency vault.

Whereas Hon. Ablakwa submitted evidence to his claim, Mr. Ken in his response failed to provide documents to substantiate the claims as reported to the committee.

Subsequent comments from the majority side of the committee consistently supported the finance minister of no wrongdoing.

Hon. Patrick Boamah, in a defence quoted Article 178 clause 1(b) of the 1992 constitution as a basis to overrule the matter.