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NPP will only cooperate if Woyome saga is investigated publicly – Jake insists

By myjoyonline
NPP Jake Obetsebi Lamptey
JAN 12, 2012 LISTEN
Jake Obetsebi Lamptey

National Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Jake Otanka Obestebi Lamptey, has stated categorically that no member of the party will cooperate with investigations into the Woyome saga as far as the probe is handled by the Economic and Organised Crime Organisation(EOCO).

He claimed the NPP does “not want this whole matter which involves such a significant amount of the people's money to be hidden behind so called investigations so the people can't see it”.

President John Evans Atta Mills directed EOCO to investigate circumstances that led to the payment of over GHS58 million judgment debt to a financier of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alfred Agbesi Woyome.

But leading members of the NPP who were invited by the investigative body have sought a court action to block their appearance before EOCO.

Mr Otanka Obestebi Lamptey, defending the action said in an interview on Peace FM Thursday morning that members of the opposition party will only cooperate if the case is handled by the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament.

He stated: “We want investigation as to who paid the money, and how money got to be paid to one individual who had no contract with Ghana government, who had done no work for the government.

“We want the whole matter to be investigated in the open with the public there… through television and through radio to see exactly what the thing is all about,” Jake insisted.

According to him, Mr Woyome has no right to claim any money from government because he had no contract with the state. He further questioned why the Attorney General opted to authorize the payment of such a whopping amount of money without defending the state.

Jake explained that it is only Parliament that has been mandated by the Constitution to investigate matters that are contained in the auditor general's report to the House.

Therefore, the NPP believe that - Parliament with its bi-partisan composition - can do a better job, he said.

He added that the investigations that have been ordered by the President should have been done when Mr Woyome made the claim for the money.

The NPP chairman said the party has done nothing wrong in this case and has nothing to hide.

Until the Public Accounts Committee takes up the investigation, Jake maintained, the NPP will not cooperate with any organization conducting an investigation.

“…We will cooperate 100 per cent [with the Public Accounts Committee] to make sure that the investigation is done in the open, in front of every single citizen of Ghana…”

Story by Ghana/myjoyonline.com/Dorcas Efe Mensah

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