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NDC MPs boycott parliament in
solidarity with Abodakpi
Accra, Feb. 6, GNA – National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Members of Parliament (MPs) on Tuesday described the 10
years’ imprisonment slapped on Dan Abodakpi, Member for Keta,
by an Accra Fast Track High Court as a miscarriage of
justice.
They have, therefore, begun an indefinite boycott of
Parliament in solidarity with their colleague, who was
jailed on Monday for causing financial loss to the State.
"Following the meeting of the Functional Executive (of NDC)
yesterday (Monday), the Party has directed the Parliamentary
Caucus not to participate in the work of Parliament
commencing today (Tuesday) in solidarity with our imprisoned
colleague, Dan Abodakpi for obvious miscarriage of justice,"
Dr Kwabena Adjei, Chairman of the NDC said.
Speaking at a well-attended press conference where almost
all the 94 NDC MPs wearing red headgears and armbands with
some in mourning clothes, were present, Dr Adjei said the
New Patriotic Party (NPP) had not abandoned its declared
agenda to use the Fast Track High Courts to destroy the NDC
through the use of political trials to jail the Party's
leading members and functionaries.
Flanked by Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, General Secretary and
Mr Alban Bagbin, The Minority Leader, Dr Adjei said Abodakpi,
who was Former Minister of Trade and Industry under the NDC
Administration, was the latest victim of the agenda.
Dr Adjei said in its 18th December final submission, the
Prosecution made the categorical statement that the accused
person wilfully caused the loss of 250,000 dollars and not
400,000 dollars.
He said the Prosecution had said by so doing the accused
person had wilfully caused the nation 250,000 dollars in
excess of what should have been paid.
This, he said, showed that even the Prosecution had revised
the original quantum of loss from the initial 400,000
dollars to 250,000 dollars and that it represented a tacit
acceptance by the Prosecution that some work was done for
which indeed payment had been made.
"It, therefore, beats our wildest imagination how the
learned Judge could still proceed to pronounce judgment and
sentence on the basis of the original charge of 400,000
dollars financial loss."
The money, whose transfers were authorised by Victor
Selormey (Deceased), Former Deputy Minister of Finance, was
to be used as fees for feasibility studies towards the
establishment of Science and Technology Valley Park Farm
Project.
Dr Adjei said during the trial, a Prosecution Witness, Mr
Bibilazu of the Management Development and Productivity
Institute (MDPI) admitted under oath that the minimum amount
that an offshore company would charge for such a project
would be between 75,000 dollars and 150,000 dollars and that
when asked what the maximum amount in his estimation was, he
stated that there was no evidence.
"If there was no maximum, then on what basis was the 400,000
dollars cost of the project described to be a loss to the
State? It will amaze you that, as I speak to you today, the
money which is supposed to be at the centre of this case and
which is deemed to have been lost to the State is still
sitting in the frozen account of Dr Fred Owusu-Boadu at
ECOBANK Ghana."
Dr Adjei said strange events characterized the judgment of
the Abodakpi trial on Monday in that "just as the Judge had
started reading the first paragraph of his judgment, a clerk
walked in and whispered into his ears.
"He then paused for a while, left the courtroom and returned
to his Chamber. He returned after about 10 minutes clutching
in his hands a blue diary. He then started reading all over
again and in the process appeared so confused that he kept
referring to the National Democratic Congress as the
National Defence Council."
Dr Adjei said Abodakpi had, therefore, become the latest
victim of NPP's politics of judicial manipulation and
political witch hunting designed purely to decimate the main
opposition.
He said an application by Defence Counsel for leniency, a
well-established practice in Commonwealth countries, was
denied.
Giving an addendum of cases that he described as crying even
for simple investigation to establish the truth or otherwise
of allegation that have appeared in the media since 2001, Dr
Adjei said President John Agyekum Kufuor had indicated that
he would not proceed to take action on newspaper
allegations. Persons who had evidence on any of those
matters must provide such evidence to the State before any
action was taken.
Ironically, he said, “many of the cases currently being
prosecuted against NDC officials also began as mere
newspaper allegations. This attitude of the First Citizen of
State runs completely counter to his avowed policy of zero
tolerance for corruption. We believe that justice must be
blind and that the sword of justice must cut in any
direction notwithstanding political or ethnic affiliation."
He said “this cycle of vengeance where justice was
administered selectively based on one's political coloration
must be broken especially in this unique year as the nation
celebrates 50 years of independence”.
Dr Adjei said those currently administering this measure of
justice must remember that the same measure with which they
judged their political opponents today might be the same
measure by which they would be judged in the future.
Mr Bagbin, The Minority Leader, noted that Abodakpi still
remained a Member of Parliament and that his seat still
remained for him until all the avenues for appeal had been
exhausted.
He said the difference between Mr Abodakpi and Mr Eric
Amoateng, NPP MP for Nkoranza North, who has been arrested
in the US on alleged drug charges, was that the former did
not write to the Speaker for permission to absent himself
from Parliament while the latter wrote for permission to
visit his sick daughter.
However, after his arrest he said he went to buy wrist
watches and had since not explained the reason for his
absence though he sent a letter of resignation.
Mr Asiedu-Nketia said that these events would not shake the
resolution of the NDC to fully participate in the
constitutional governance of the country and to give voice
to its teeming supporters and sympathizers across the
country.
"The NDC is here to stay and the earlier some people
adjusted to that reality, the better it will be for our dear
nation Ghana."
GNA
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