Muntaka saga; unanswered questions

Ghanaians have followed with interest the unfolding saga of the embattled Minister or appropriately the embattled former Minister of Youth and Sport; Hon.

Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed. For some, the assignment of National Security to investigate allegations of financial malfeasance against the minister was inappropriate. Most importantly, the outcome of the investigations was preempted by the political spectacles of National Security in Ghana.

One would have thought that the Account General's Office or the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Public Finance would have been the most appropriate bodies to conduct this investigation. Be it as it may, National Security has submitted its report and the Presidency has issued a statement on that. Interestingly, the report and the subsequent statement issued by the Presidency have only succeeded in muddling the waters for the Hon. Muntaka and the Presidency itself.

I an of the opinion that, the said report confirmed the that Ms. Edith Zinayela; Secretary to the Majority Leader in Parliament, had been with Hon. Muntaka on two different travels as alleged and on both occasions the ministry paid for her flight expenses.

One would want to know why her and not any other lady secretary to any minister or whatever? Why not the former minister's own secretary if she were a lady? Can any lady secretary make a request to another institution for which she has no public duties to perform to be considered for any beneficial travel and be catered for by the said institution? The exact relationship Ms. Zinayela has with Hon.

Muntaka was not probably within the terms of reference of the investigative body but for the Presidency to shred him on this and for Hon. Muntaka to offer reimbursement of the state for losses incurred on this lady places the core relationship between the two squarely in the public domain for which the fundamental question must be established. What is the true state of relationship between the two; Hon. Muntaka and Ms. Zinayela?

Secondly, according to the report and the statement issued, Mr. Adim Odoom who made the allegations against the former minister, typed the allegations on Dr. Owusu Ansah laptop and in his office and the two distributed copies of the allegations afterwards. This could be forgiven because laptops like many necessities of life are luxurious goods which many cannot afford including a Principal Accountant at a ministry. What is interesting here is who got a copy of the typed allegations and who did not get a copy. Guess what! the former president; Mr. Rawlings got a copy for his consideration.

Why not? the messiah of probity and accountability and the mentor of the President must get to the bottom of it. On the other hand, it was a statement to the effect that and as Mr. Rawlings has alluded to implicitly, the "Asomdwehene's boys" cannot not be trust to stay clean. Well, I do not like the allusion remote controlling from Ridge but I cannot fault anyone for believing in it. Judging from current developments including the new found status of Mr. Rawlings as a "Special Envoy", I can not help but ask a simple question; where is the Presidency; Osu or Ridge?

Credit: Frank Kofi Owusu Debrah [Politecnico di Milano Milano, Italy]