I was only a steward - Sam Jonah

The immediate past non Executive President of AngloGold Ashanti, Sir Sam Jonah has refuted suggestions that he sold out Ashanti Goldfields Company to foreign interests and subsequently abandoned it, thereby handing the country a raw deal.

Sir Jonah was Chief Executive when Ashanti Goldfields merged with Anglogold to emerge now as Anglogold Ashanti.

He was made President in the new company and subsequently took up a non-executive board membership until his resignation on Monday, February 12.

He told Joy Business Report that as CEO of Ashanti Goldfields he was only a steward for shareholders of the company.

Mr. Jonah explained that after 38 years he believed it was time for him to move on to explore other interests hence his resignation and dismissed suggestions that he had handed the country a raw deal.

“The company was never mine. I was just in charge of looking after the assets which belonged to a number of institutions plus the Ghanaian Government which had 70 percent of the company so I was only in charge of the shares. At the end of the day did the shareholders have a good return on their money? If the answer is yes then I have discharged my duties.”