In a scathing rebuttal, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and cousin of President Nana Akufo-Addo, has vehemently criticized the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for what he describes as hypocritical and baseless corruption allegations against the current administration.
Otchere-Darko began his statement by highlighting what he perceives as the NDC’s double standards in dealing with corruption allegations.
He referenced recent accusations levelled against a relative of Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who, according to the NDC, benefited from a public contract.
“A week earlier it was about a former boyfriend (and ‘baby father’) of a daughter of the president and a contract for spare parts where no bribery allegation is said to be involved. Today that same propaganda chief is leading his party triumphantly (with support from the media), hailing his boss, the opposition leader and former president, as being ‘squeaky clean!’ Why?”
Gabby Asare Otchere Darko, a leading member of the NPP
Otchere-Darko expressed disbelief at the NDC’s celebration, particularly given the involvement of former President Mahama, who was identified as “Government Official 1” in the Airbus scandal, a case in which he claimed the company admitted to paying bribes to Ghanaian government officials.
He argued that despite extensive investigations by reputable institutions in the UK, US, and France, which implicated Mahama and his brother, Ghanaian authorities reportedly found no evidence to prosecute them.
Ochere Darko strongly criticized the NDC for their attempts to deflect from the scandal by attacking President Akufo-Addo and his government with what he described as unfounded corruption allegations.
“But, this is what is interesting though! Let us dare the opposition and their ‘squeaky clean’ leader to name one clear case (not mere allegation) against Akufo-Addo, his family members or appointees that come anywhere remotely close to this Airbus case and its volumes of findings by investigators and admissions of guilt by the bribe giver. Let them put the Airbus case side by side with any of the charges they continue to lay on NPP’s doorsteps”.
Gabby Asare Otchere Darko, a leading member of the NPP
Otchere-Darko Questions the NDC’s Moral Authority
In his statement, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko also questioned the NDC’s moral authority to accuse others of corruption.
He made reference to another ongoing case in the United States, involving a senior staff member of an international bank who allegedly paid bribes to secure a power contract for a Turkish company during former President Mahama’s tenure.
He reminded Ghanaians of the billions of dollars the country has had to pay due to the “take-or-pay” power deals signed under Mahama’s administration, deals that have significantly burdened the nation’s finances.
“Yet, so desperate are they that they (led by JM himself) are eager to rely confidently & unashamedly on a book of fiction as their main dossier of evidence & to use same to draw links and conclusions from other instances to show that what Ghanaians are enduring today is worse than what they did see under Mahama’s NDC; never mind the tons of evidence of real developments and spendings that have gone directly into the welfare and wellbeing of families and communities across the country”.
Gabby Asare Otchere Darko, a leading member of the NPP
A Call for Transparency and Accountability
Despite his sharp criticism, Otchere-Darko expressed relief for Mahama and his family, acknowledging the “four years of utter agony” they must have endured with the Airbus case looming over them.
However, he emphasized the importance of continued scrutiny from civil society and the media, not just on the NPP but across the political spectrum, as Ghana strives for greater transparency and accountability in governance.
Otchere-Darko decried the increasingly heated nature of political discourse in Ghana as the 2024 elections approach, accusing the NDC of spreading the narrative of corruption against the incumbent government.
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