Akufo-Addo sacks Minister at Finance Ministry for taking bribes
The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo has sacked the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen following an investigative report that caught him on camera making propositions to a an undercover journalist posing as a businessman about bribing the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia with $200,000 to get his backing to establish his business and for taking bribes.
In a statement from the Presidency signed by Eugene Arhin, Director of Communication, dated November 14, 2022, the President terminated the appointed of Adu Boahen with immediate effect. The statement indicated that the President has also referred the matter to the Office of the Special Prosecutor for further investigation.
According to the statement, the President took the decision after he was made aware of the news report, published in the Crusading Guide newspaper. In the report, Adu Boahen was caught on tape to be telling a businessman undercover, in the United Arab Emirates that the Vice President, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, “needs just $200,000 token as an appearance fee and some positions by an investor for the Vice President’s siblings to get his backing and influence in establishing a business in Ghana.” According to the report, he collected an undisclosed amount of money from the supposed businessman.
In recent times there have been calls for the dismissal of Adu Boahen and the subtantive Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta for poor management of the Ghanaian economy, resulting in high debt, running inflation, a depreciating cedi and high cost of living. The public debt is more than 80 per cent of GDP, with inflation above 40 per cent.
The report is from an undercover video report to be premiered tonight by Tiger Eye, an investigative journalism organisation led by Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
The sacked Minister is the son of the Late Prof Albert Adu Boahen, a distinguished historian, academic and politician. Prof Adu Boahen who died on May 24, 2006 was the first Ghanaian to receive a PhD in African History at the School of Oriental and African Studies in 1959.
He was the presidential candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party in the 1992 general elections.
In a Facebook post on his page, the Vice President said the following: “My attention has been drawn to a video by Anas Aremeyaw Anas (as posted on his social media handle) showing the Minister of State for Finance, Mr. Charles Adu Boahen, apparently using my name, inter alia, to peddle influence and collect money from supposed investors. I would like to state that if what the minister is alleged to have said is accurately captured in the video, then his position as a minister of state is untenable. He should be dismissed summarily and investigated.
I am not aware of any such meeting held by Minister Adu Boahen or a supposed “appearance fee”. My most cherished asset in life is my integrity and I will not allow anyone to use my name to engage in corrupt activities.”