Asaga’s $133K Dubai property ‘much ado about nothing’ – Edem Senanu

The Co-chair of the Citizens Movement Against Corruption, Edem Senanu, has stated that the current controversy surrounding former Member of Parliament for Nabdam, Moses Asaga, owning properties in Dubai is “much ado about nothing.”

This statement follows a report by the UK-based think tank, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). The report, titled “How Dirty Money Finds a Home in Dubai Real Estate,” published on May 14, 2024, implicated several former appointees of the Mahama administration, including Asaga and Inusah Fuseini. The report alleged that they had amassed real estate in Dubai worth millions of dollars during their tenure in power.

The OCCRP report also highlighted Dubai’s reputation for financial secrecy, suggesting it has become a sanctuary for funds from questionable sources.

However, Asaga dismissed these accusations as baseless, asserting that his 30-year career and roles in key positions made acquiring such properties feasible.

In support of Asaga, Edem Senanu, in an interview with Citi News, expressed scepticism over the accusations. He pointed out that the $133,000 price tag on the Dubai property does not seem excessive, especially when considering the remuneration of MPs and the cost of properties in Ghana.

He added that the value of the property in question, when viewed in the context of Asaga’s career and earnings, does not warrant the level of controversy it has generated.

“Honestly speaking, I don’t think $133,000 in property amounts is too much, it doesn’t seem out of line at all. I have a strong suspicion that, even though I don’t have the figures, it could be MPs’ remunerations. I assume that about 60% of that was spent on housing, and the 40%, when you save and multiply it over a period of time, shouldn’t be out of line.

“In fact, even in Ghana, I suspect you will find properties on the property market worth $150,000 up to $350,000. So, you need to do a little bit of research by asking yourself the property rate if you are buying properties in Ghana at the moment and the income of someone who works with GNPC from middle level to senior level.

“I have a strong suspicion that it may not be much I do about nothing in other instances, but in this particular instance, I don’t see how $133,000 property should become an issue,” he stated.