The Mines and Energy Committee in Parliament will today interrogate former Power Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor and officials of Ameri Energy over the transaction between the government of Ghana and AMERI during the tenure of former President John Mahama.
They are to answer questions regarding the 510 million dollars thermal plant deal following a motion by Adansi Asokwa MP KT Hammond for a revocation.
KT Hammond argues that AMERI Energy made over 150 million dollars as profit for no work done. He told Starr News Ameri Energy deceived parliament to obtain approval.
“Ameri Energy made a whopping killing of 150million at the expense of the poor taxpayers of this country, this was not what the committee meant to present to Parliament for approval and indeed this is not what I as a ranking member of the committee of mines of energy intended to support when the motion was moved in Parliament”.
The minority in parliament has been boycotting the sittings.
The Deal
The NDC government has signed the BOOT Agreement on February 10, 2015 as an emergency power arrangement to help reduce the power supply deficit at the time, and the project was expected to be delivered within 90 days after the fulfillment of conditions precedent, but it was never done within the stipulated period.
Then President Mahama’s brother’s company – Engineers and Planners – was given part of the contract at a highly ridiculous cost.
“Even though the plant is operational, several omissions and concessions were made in the BOOT Agreement which require re-negotiation, amendments and restructuring of the Agreement. The Agreement simply is grossly unfair and is not as it presently stands, in the best interest of Ghana,” the Addison Committee had said.
“The Committee has enumerated technical, financial and legal observations and recommendations in the report that are aimed at rectifying the anomalies in the BOOT Agreement for effective and efficient implementation of the project,” it added.
It said that the recommendations were also to serve “as a guide for future negotiations of power projects,” and advised that the government “should take all necessary measures to avoid power supply deficits which result in the execution of emergency power agreements.”
Source: Ghana/StarrFMonline.com/103.5FM
