The Committee set up by the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Alban S.K. Bagbin to investigate the Mr Ken Ofori-Atta has quashed two of the seven charges against the minister.
The Finance Minister will not be responding first and third grounds in the motion of censure filed by the Minority during the ongoing hearing.
They are allegations of illegal payments of oil revenues to offshore accounts and conflict of interest.
The decision followed a testimony given by the Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC) on Thursday over the payment of money into offshore accounts.
The Petroleum Commission’s testimony established that the Ofori Atta did not authorised payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts.
Giving detail of the drop in charges on Friday November 18, Co-chair of the committee Dr Dominic Ayine read, “…They also did not say anything to the effect that you gave the instructions with respect to that payment. On account of the evidence adduced which kind of contradicted the evidence that was led by the proponent of the motion, the committee has taken the view that you will not be called to deal with this matter.”
He said, “So in essence, there are now five grounds that you will have to deal with. Those are grounds 2, that is the unconstitutional withdrawals in relation to the national cathedral, then we have ground 5, 6 and 7 to deal with.”
The finance minister stood before the eight member committee on Friday November 18 to respond to the charges against him.
He held that after the submission the committee and Ghanaians will understand the reality on the ground, adding, “I am certain Ghanaians will have a more balance view of what has led us here.”
