Chinese company funds NDC, AFAG alleges; NDC denies

Armed with invoices, electronic tickets and payment request forms, pressure group, the Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), has accused the ruling NDC of being financed by a Chinese company, Huawei

Such an act will be in clear violation of the country's laws.

Huawei, a Chinese Telecommunications firm which recently won the 127 million dollar e-Government Platform Project contract is accused of secretly funding various campaign activities of the ruling party.

General Secretary of AFAG Arnold Boateng told Evans Mensah on Joy FM's Top Story that AFAG is preparing to lodge a formal complaint with the police on Thursday because it believes the alleged activities violate the Political Parties Act.

But the Propaganda Secretary of the NDC Richard Quashigah has denied the allegations in an interview on Top Story.

He said if AFAG had crosschecked their information, they would have realised that what they were carrying around as facts “don't look authentic.”

He described AFAG as a "rogue NPP group, they lack merit and I don't know why we should take them serious."

He however, admitted that the NDC like many other parties or individuals has been printing campaign paraphernalia in China because they are “cheap”.

AFAG had earlier today held a press conference to put out their findings.

Below the statement
NDC & CHINESE Co. IN ALL TIME CORRUPTION- PART 1

The Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) is shocked at the unconscionable act of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in milking and openly ripping the state of its scarce resources with Huawei, a Chinese company which has been involved in several international scandals.

Huawei Chinese Company is a Communications Company whose operations, have been currently terminated in the USA, Australia and India for security reasons. Additionally, Algerian authorities in June this year banned the operations of the company in Algeria following a bribery scandal which involved the company and some executives of the State owned telecom. In an attempt to deter other state officials, the corrupt officials involved in this scandal had their property confiscated, sentenced to 18 years imprisonment and find USD 64,000 each. Are there any lessons for Ghana in Her fight against corruption?

Interestingly this company has been well received by the NDC government without due regard to due diligence. Ladies & gentlemen of the press, it is of interest to note that, two public offices( National Security and Ministry of Communication) have awarded two separate contracts to Huawei both in line with telecommunication development in the country. However, documents available to us, shows that, Huawei has been complicit in some series of actions which could be described as corrupt in Ghana.

Huawei Funding NDC in Ghana
Ladies and gentlemen, the political parties act; Act 574 is so explicit on who can fund a political Party. Section 23(1) of the Act states that, “only a citizen may contribute whether in cash or in kind to the fund of a political party. Whilst section 24 states that “A non-citizen shall not directly or indirectly make a contribution or donation or loan whether in cash or in kind to the funds held by or for the benefit of a political party and no political party or person acting for or on behalf of a political party shall demand or accept a contribution donation or loan from a non-citizen”.

However, in flagrant disregard for the high laws of this country, and together with the NDC, Huawei Chinese company:

• Have been printing campaign paraphernalia (T-shirts, cups, key holders etc) worth millions of USDs for the NDC. It has to be said even after the death of president Mills, President John Mahama continuously enjoy this facility.

• Have been financing air trips of some NDC Government officials and their family (including Dr.Cadman Mills, the brother and economic advisor of our late President).

REWARDS FOR FUNDING THE NDC
Following this immoral gesture by the Huawei, group, the NDC government in a reciprocal gesture awarded the Huawei group what could arguably go down as one of the juiciest contracts to be doled out by the current NDC government.

To place on record, the NDC government on 15th December, 2011 awarded the Huawei group the E-Government platform Project worth a whooping USD127, 500,000 million.

CONTRAVENTION OF THE ACT
Ladies and gentlemen, we quote the relevant portions of the contravention of the political parties Act;

“25. (1) where any person contravenes section 23 or 24, in addition to any penalty that may be imposed under this Act, any amount whether in cash or in kind paid in contravention of the section shall be forfeited to the State and the amount shall be recovered from the political party as debt owed to the State. The political party or person in whose custody the amount is for the time being held shall pay it to the State.

(2) A non-citizen found guilty of contravention of section 24 shall be deemed to be a prohibited immigrant and liable to deportation under the Aliens Act, 1963 (Act 160)”.

AFAG'S POSITION
In view of this blatant disregard of the law, we hold the following;

• We find as very insulting the GH¢ 1 which was paid by Huawei as taxes on the contract.

• The immediate deportation of officials of Huawei for the violation of the political party law.

• The NDC should as soon as possible address the unresolved issue of the 20,000,000M dollars headquarters which according to our intelligence was financed by a Chinese company.

• AFAG will proceed to the police to formally lodge a complaint for further investigations into this criminal act.

• Since political parties are public entities, AFAG, is calling on the EC to publish the annual report of the NDC to ascertain whether these donations have ever been reported.

Ladies and gentlemen, until these standing issues are addressed, AFAG will not rest.

Thank you.
Signed
Davis Opoku Ansah
Henry Haruna Asante
Arnold Boateng
Bright Acheampong
Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye