Africa-Press – Mauritius. Former railways development minister Joe Ghartey has denied authorising $2 million to a Mauritius company to fund the failed Accra Sky Train project. His comments follow a claim by the Minority that the former minister and NPP flagbearer aspirant paid AI Sky even before a feasibility study could be completed.
According to him, he signed the concession agreement with the promoters of the project in 2019 but this was subject to several conditions precedent including approval by Cabinet, Parliament, the Ministry of Finance, and the conduct of a Value for Money Audit, among others.
He argued vehemently during an interview with Citi News that the $2 million was paid as part of an agreement between the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) and the investors and not his former ministry. He wants the Minority to direct their questions about the whereabouts of the money to the GIIF.
“It is the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund that paid the money and the Fund is mandated to make such payments and so if the Minority wants anyone to refund the money, they should tell the Auditor General to ask the Fund to refund the money,” he said.
Accra Sky Train project was to be completed in 2020 The MP for Essikado-Ketan also disclosed that the 2019 concession agreement was signed in South Africa.
He said the investors were supposed to come to Ghana to execute the bold infrastructure project and complete all agreements in 2020. He said when COVID and lockdowns in both South Africa and Ghana in 2020, the plan was disrupted.
“So as far as my Ministry is concerned, we did not give them any money. I didn’t have any money and I didn’t have the power to pay any money and I did not pay any money.
I don’t have the power to write for payment to the company in Mauritius,” Ghartey defended. Peter Amewu was firm when he said that the government would not go ahead with the sky project as it promised in November 2019.
Meanwhile, YEN. com. gh reported in a separate story that Joe Ghartey said the time has come for him to become the governing party’s flagbearer Joe Ghartey has told a Takoradi-based radio station that he is the right candidate to secure victory for the NPP in 2024. The former minister of railways development has said he has what it takes to become Ghana’s next president.
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