My motion against original Ameri deal still outstanding – K.T Hammond

Former Deputy Energy Minister KT Hammond has distanced himself from the cancelled controversial novation and amendment agreement.

According to him, the novation and amendment agreement, which sought to buy out the $510million deal Ameri Energy has with the government had nothing to with his motion calling for the outright termination of the Ameri deal.

“My motion in Parliament was referred to a Committee. The Committee has prepared its report, it has to be brought back to Parliament to be debated and a decision to be made on it. It’s still outstanding, nothing to do with whatever agreement or arrangement subsequently brought to Parliament and what has happened to that one,” he told Starr News’ Ibrahim Alhassan.

He said the report on his motion for the termination of the Ameri deal has been ready for some time now but the Majority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu is dithering on laying it before the house for debate.

“The report is ready for a very long time. It is there. So it’s up to him to get into parliament we debate it, take a decision on it and then going forward whatever that is to be done could be done,” he said.

Under the new agreement, the new company, Mytilineos International Trading Company, will take over the management of the AMERI power plant for 15 years.

The new company offered to pay AMERI an amount of $52,160,560, with the government paying the remaining $39 million to the Dubai-based AMERI Energy to wash its hands off the deal entirely.

However, it emerged that President Akufo-Addo was misled by his Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko into approving the new agreement, which has been described by the Minority in Parliament and other energy think tanks including African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) as “stinky” and “rip-off.”

Mr Agyarko has since been sacked from office and the novation and amendment Ameri agreement cancelled.

Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM