`Action` starts BNI INVADES MPIANI`S HOUSE …. Osei Adjei grilled over rice importation

REPORTS REACHING this paper indicate that the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) was on the heels of two top former government officials yesterday. They are Hon. Kwadwo Okyere Mpiani, the former Chief of Staff and Hon. Osei Adjei, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, all under the regime of Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor.

According to an impeccable source, the BNI officials went to the house of Mr. Mpiani, who recently dared the Atta Mills government to drag him to court if they have evidence of corruption against him, but could not locate him. The BNI reportedly took the decision to go to his house after failing to contact him through the telephone.

A deal was, however, struck with the son of the former Chief of Staff and the officials of the BNI to make his father available at the BNI headquarters at 1pm on Thursday. “The son promised the BNI officials that he would accompany his father to their office on Thursday at 1pm,” this paper was hinted.

The Chronicle gathered that the former Chief of Staff would be quizzed on a wide range of issues, including allegations of corruption, malfeasance and financial loss to the state, and the operations of Ghana International Airline and other reported transactions during his tenure as Chief of Staff.

Hon. Osei Adjei, a former legislator and ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs, this paper learnt at press time, was at the offices of the BNI being grilled. Issues that took centre stage were about the importation of rice from India by his Ministry, among others.

Mr. Osei Adjei, who made the headlines last week with regard to the renovation of a house at Kumasi, among others, is said to have provided some answers to the BNI.

Efforts to reach both top NPP officials to brief this paper on what went on proved futile, as their phones were off.

It would be recalled that various comments from the NDC officials hinted of possible prosecution of former Ministers under the former NPP regime. Responding to some of these threats, Mr. Mpiani told this paper that his hands were clean and that he had done nothing wrong to be afraid of prosecution. He declared his readiness to face the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) at the law courts over allegations that he and some other former Ministers would soon face prosecution.

According to him, he is ever prepared to answer questions relating to his duties under the NPP administration and that he has done nothing untoward to be afraid of court action.

To him, Ghana is practising rule of law, where everybody is allowed to express his views and opinions, unlike the regime of coup d'etats.

“I am not worried about the allegations and threats. It is the prerogative of the government to prosecute people who they think have done wrong.

If the NDC claims they have the evidence after their investigations to put us before court, we are ready for them,” he told The Chronicle in an interview that was published recently.