GH¢293K WAS MY CUT…Scandal Soaked MP Tells Police

THE Member of Parliament for the Ahanta West Constituency and a former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC), George Kwame Aboagye has reported to the Takoradi Police in response to a complaint lodged against him by a Takoradi family.

The Bratuo family of Beahu, Ankyeryin and Egyam, together with a businessman, Moses Brew, had dragged the MP to the Police for allegedly stealing GH¢ 293,000 from the sale of 280.49 acre land the family had sold to Oceanic Properties.

Information gathered by The Chronicle indicates that the MP walked to the Police station yesterday morning and wrote his statement, after The Chronicle broke the story.

The MP is reported to have stated that he promoted and brought down the investor, Oceanic Properties, to buy the land in question. The MP is further reported to have told the Police in his statement that he inflated the price of an acre of land from GH¢ 10,000 to GH¢ 15,000 as a businessman.

He reportedly told the police that since he was the one that the struck the deal, he deducted his profit from the GH¢ 860,000 cheque that was issued by the purchaser in the name of his company.

The MP's statement to the police is in sharp contrast with what he had earlier told The Chronicle that he deducted the GH¢ 293,000 from the money as a tax.

The police have since confirmed that the MP had given his statement and that he had been granted bail.

But Counsel for the Brantuo families, Stephen Kesson, who also confirmed the MP's statement to the Police, told this reporter that the MP's statement was a sham.

According to counsel, MP Aboagye had no capacity in law to have deducted the said money he claimed was his profit for the sale of the land, whilst in office as the GIPC boss.

According to him, Aboagye was being economical with the truth because he did not even know any of the families who owned the lands in question, for him to have contacted them and in the process agreed to sell out the land to Oceanic Properties through him-Aboagye.

Counsel continued that his client, Moses Brew, promoted the business and contacted the families for the release of their lands in return for monies the latter had agreed on.

He added that the agreement covering the land about payment and who should receive the money is explicitly stated. To him, Aboagye would have to defend the stealing case that has been made brought against him in court.

The Chronicle reported yesterday that the Takoradi Central Police have invited the Member of Parliament for Ahanta West and the former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Mr. George Aboagye, for questioning.

The decision follows a complaint lodged with the police by the Bratuo Family of Ankyernyin, Beahu and Agyam who are accusing the MP of stealing GH¢293, 000 -being proceeds from the sale of their land.

In 2012, the Bratuo Family of Ankyernyin, Beahu and Agyam sold a 280.49-acre land to Oceanic Properties Ghana Limited, which is represented in Ghana by Chris Wilmot, a Takoradi-based business tycoon at the cost of about GH¢ 4.027 million.

The terms of the contract, which was signed on July 30, 2012, between BREWMO Ghana Limited, agent of the family and Oceanic Properties Ghana Limited, states that after the Land owners had executed the title deed, Oceanic Properties Ghana Limited shall pay 50 percent of the total cost of the land to the land owners through BREWMO Ghana Limited, their agent.

The remaining 50% of the purchase price shall be paid to the land owners through the same Brewmo Ghana Limited after the title deed has been perfected and handed over to Oceanic Properties Ghana Limited.

The Chronicle established that based on this agreement, Oceanic Properties Ghana Limited issued a cheque for GH¢860 , 000 and called Mr. Brew Moses, the chief Executive Officer of BREWMO, the agent who signed the agreement on behalf of the family with the purchaser for it and for onward transmission to the family.

Unfortunately, Moses Brew was recuperating from a lorry accident and, therefore, directed that the cheque be issued in the name of G.K.A African Trade Service, a company owned by the MP, George Aboagye. The idea was for Aboagye to cash the cheque and give the money to the family.

Mr. George Aboagye, upon the receipt of the cheque from Oceanic Properties Limited, through his company, as directed by Brew Moses, issued an Ecobank cheque (number 000239 0134406274501) dated December 12, 2012, covering an amount of GH¢532, 667 instead of GH¢860, 000, which was the face value of the original cheque issued by Oceanic Properties Ghana Limited to cover 25% payment of GH¢ 4,027,360, being the original cost of the land.

This is not the first time Mr. Aboagye is involved in controversy. As Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, he was embroiled in GH¢ 9000 investment cash to buy drinks for the 70 th birthday of the board Chairman, Mr. Ishmael Yamson.

The media had earlier also reported that whilst in the helm of affairs as GIPC boss, his office doled out GH¢4000 to NDC foot soldiers to support the campaign of the president, in the run up to the 2012 presidential election.