Ofori-Atta’s responses at censure committee hearing satisfactory – Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Mensah-Bonsu has expressed satisfaction with the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta’s responses to allegations levelled against him by the Minority in Parliament.

The Finance Minister appeared before an 8-member ad-hoc committee of Parliament on Friday, November 18, 2022, to react to claims of unconstitutional withdrawals from the consolidated fund for the construction of the National Cathedral, gross mismanagement of the economy and financial recklessness leading to the collapse of the Ghana Cedi among others as the basis for a motion censure against him by the minority.

The Finance Minister denied the allegations before the committee.

Speaking to journalists after the proceedings, the Majority Leader said, “we are a human institution and I think that we will continue to improve more as we move on. I think he did not do badly, my worry was about the first four questions which were serious allegations bordering on criminality.”

“But it seems like the committee has come to some agreement to the extent that there was no sufficient agreement on those matters, two of them have been struck out, so we are making progress, let’s see how it goes,” he added.

The Suame MP had initially said the whole caucus supports calls for the Finance Minister to resign or be sacked, this is after 80 majority MPs made the calls.

Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu had initially criticised the timing of the NPP MPs’ call for the Finance Minister to be removed because Ghana is currently pursuing support from the IMF.

In response to the calls from his own party’s MPs, President Akufo-Addo urged the MPs to hold on till Ghana concludes negotiations with the IMF.

Previous calls for the removal of Ken Ofori-Atta have been rebuffed by President Akufo-Addo, who said he would continue to back Mr. Ofori-Atta.