Moses Asaga: $133K investment in Dubai no big deal; I’ve worked for 30 years

Moses Asaga, a former Member of Parliament for Nabdam in the Upper East Region, has denied claims of owning illicitly acquired properties in Dubai.

The accusations surfaced following a report by the UK-based think tank, the Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which implicated several former appointees of the Mahama administration, including Asaga, Inusah Fuseini, and others.

The OCCRP report titled “How Dirty Money Finds a Home in Dubai Real Estate,” published on May 14, 2024, suggested that these individuals had amassed real estate in Dubai worth millions of dollars during their tenure in power.

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

However, the former Nabdam MP in a response to Citi News dismissed the claims and described them as a political machination, questioning the focus on his investment.

Asaga argued that his 30-year career, which includes significant roles at Ecobank, GNPC, and as a Deputy Minister of Finance and Minister for Employment, more than justifies his ability to invest $133,000 in such properties.

He challenged the narrative of wrongdoing by comparing property prices in Ghana, where new apartments are sold for upwards of $200,000 and luxury residences in Trassaco which can fetch between $1 million and $5 million.

“I thought I had done something criminal and corrupt worth investigating. $133, 000, shouldn’t I be able to own such an investment? What are the prices of Trasaco properties $1m- $3m who are staying there? Is it not politicians and majority NPP functionaries? Has the OCCRP gone to put a story on them? This is a political machination.

“So, they think for my 30-year working life I should not have an investment of that paltry amount. Before politics, I worked with Ecobank, and GNPC and was Deputy Minister of Finance, Minister for Employment, and CEO of NPA. I could not afford an investment of $133,000 for a student one-bedroom apartment. What is the crime and corruption involved in this?

“In Ghana, new apartments are being sold for $200,000 plus, and Trasaco is $1m–$5m. Who stays in them is [it] not bankers, CEOs of GNPC, COCOBOD, BOST, and politicians,” he quizzed.