‘You can sue me over drill ship’ – K.T Hammond calls NDC’s bluff

Ghana's former Deputy Energy Minister, K.T Hammond has challenged the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to drag him to court over the role he played in the sale of Ghana's drill ship.

He threw the challenge after the General Secretary of the NDC, Asiedu Nketia stated at the launch of a nationwide outreach programme for the NDC at Fumso in the Ashanti Region that the party would arrest K.T Hammond over the role he played in the drill ship saga.

“We now know K.T. Hammond's smoothness level. So he is about to go on retirement, there is no doubt about that. When he's on retirement, before he would have his peace of mind to enjoy his retirement, we will invite him to come and show us where the drill ship is,” said Asiedu Nketia.

But the Adansi Asokwa Legislator who was not enthused about Asiedku Nketia's comments, on Eyewitness News wondered why the NDC had not yet “arrested or imprisoned” him over the issue.

“If Asiedu Nketia believes that after eight years of government I am guilty of any issue relating to the drillship. I think they have done a disservice to the country not to have arrested, not to have prosecuted, not to have imprisoned me and wait till they are out of the do. It is political oblivion for him to have made such a disgusting statement.”

“That is such a worthless piece of statement from Asiedu Nketia. It is as worthless as anything. It is not powerful at all,” he said.

NDC scheming to frustrate me
He was convinced Asiedu Nketia's comment is indicative of the extent to which the NDC is willing to go to frustrate his political ambitions.

“…What is the basis for this statement? I have difficulties with political propaganda trying to topple me from my constituency as Member of Parliament. We went through that in 2008 and we went through that in 2012. NDC was scheming to remove me from the platform from which I was operating.”

Drill ship saga: What happened under K.T Hammond's watch?

K.T. Hammond,under whose watch the ship which belonged to the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) was sold, was to be investigated by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) per government's directive after a Judgment Debt Commission's report indicted him and others.

The then Deputy Energy Minister was to explain to EOCO, how an amount of US$900,000 which was left after the sale of the drill ship was disbursed under his jusrisdiction.

Is K.T Hammond guilty?
Speaking on Eyewitness News, a frustrated K.T Hammond wondered why he was indicted in the drillship saga when he was not even around when the said development occurred.

“I was not even in Ghana when the drillship matter took place.I was in England. It was only because I was the Deputy Minister and I was delegated by the government superintended over by the President and then the Cabinet to go and resolve the issues because of the incompetence of the NDC government.”

Justice Apau Committee cleared me
He said the Justice Apau Committee subsequently even cleared him of any wrongdoing after he was indicted but was however quick to add that the “vindictive NDC” government subsequently asked EOCO to question him again over the disbursement of the said US$900,000- an exercise he believes will yield no results.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana