I called to caution you, not to push you to do something untoward — Prof Gyampo to OSP

The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has responded to claims by Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng that he reached in relating to the search at the SML premises.

In a recent statement, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) dismissed Prof Gyampo’s suggestion that its investigation of former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, may be driven by a personal vendetta.

“The OSP wishes to place on record that its actions involving the former Finance Minister are based on stated allegations of corruption and corruption-related offences, particularly abuse of office for profit, including the multiple-year contract awarded to Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML),” the OSP said.

The Office further claimed that Prof Gyampo had “called and sent messages to the Office in respect of SML while officers of the OSP and National Security were still conducting a legal search of SML’s premises.”

But in a counter-response, Prof Gyampo clarified that he never contacted the Office directly, and that his communication was solely with Mr. Agyebeng.

“I didn’t call your office, I called YOU, and we never spoke on the phone because you said you couldn’t speak and that you were going to call back,” he stated in a Facebook post on Sunday.

He explained that the purpose of his message was not to interfere in any way, but to express caution regarding potential financial implications of the ongoing investigations.

“I texted you just to caution you not to cause financial loss to the state even as you go about your investigations, which I fully favour,” he wrote.

“Given what I have heard from across the political divide about your possible intentions, I only expressed the hope that your intentions are patriotic and not personal. That’s all.”

Prof Gyampo added: “It is fine to assure Ghanaians about your intentions, but the bit that talks about me calling your office and insinuating that I asked you to do something untoward is unfair. It makes me then doubt your intentions the more.”

He said he would circulate the WhatsApp messages he sent to the Special Prosecutor to prove that his communication was simply a concern about avoiding financial loss to the state.