Prime Suspects Linked to Akufo-Addo Daughters Escape Ghana Earlier than Elections – Ghana News On-line
In a dramatic twist that has rocked Ghana’s political and monetary panorama, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, has revealed that three pivotal figures implicated within the contentious $108 million ambulance procurement deal involving President Akufo-Addo’s daughters have fled Ghana simply days earlier than the December 7, 2024, elections.
The people — Stephen Okereke Elendu Kalu Okoro, Frank Agyekum Boateng, and Vivian Oppong Kyekyeku — are alleged to have performed central roles in what has been described as an inflated sweetheart deal that siphoned tens of millions of taxpayer {dollars}.
Who Are They and Where Did They Go?
According to Hon. Ablakwa, Stephen Okoro, an in depth enterprise affiliate of Gyankroma and Edwina Akufo-Addo and the daddy of one of many president’s grandchildren, departed Ghana on November 27 aboard British Airways flight BA2066. He is reported to have used each Nigerian and Ghanaian passports. Okoro is a director of Elok Consult and Services Limited, an organization accused of orchestrating the ambulance importation deal.
Frank Agyekum Boateng, recognized as a director of BEFT Engineering, left Ghana on November 26 on a United Airlines flight to Washington, D.C. He used a Ghanaian passport, Ablakwa famous.
Vivian Oppong Kyekyeku of Luxury World Auto Group Limited exited the nation earlier, flying to New York on August 31 aboard Delta Airlines. She additionally reportedly offered twin passports — Ghanaian and U.S.
The Scandal Unfolds
The $108 million ambulance deal has been mired in controversy since July when Ablakwa uncovered alleged irregularities within the procurement course of. Elok Consult and Services Limited, together with different rapidly included corporations linked to the accused trio, had been allegedly single-sourced to import the ambulances at extremely inflated prices.
A subsequent investigation by the Auditor-General uncovered a sequence of illegalities, together with an unauthorized $34.9 million cost for spare components allegedly permitted by then-Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta shortly earlier than his exit.
Legal and Political Implications
Hon. Ablakwa, identified for his incisive parliamentary oversight, has filed a prison grievance with the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP). The absconding of those key figures raises questions on Ghana’s capability to implement accountability in high-profile corruption circumstances.
“This is not the end,” Ablakwa declared in his social media put up. “The Ghanaian people shall have the accountability they have been yearning for. For God and Country. Ghana First.”
International Collaboration Needed
The MP known as for pressing worldwide collaboration to trace and extradite the people. “They can run, but they surely can’t hide,” he asserted, emphasizing that the battle for justice will proceed.
Public Outrage Grows
The revelations have sparked widespread public outrage, with many calling for stronger measures to forestall such scandals. Critics argue that the timing of the fugitives’ departure isn’t any coincidence, because it conveniently occurred earlier than an election that would considerably shift the political panorama.
As the nation awaits motion from the incoming authorities, the saga underscores the necessity for strong mechanisms to curb corruption and be sure that no particular person, no matter their connections, is above the legislation.
By Jeorge Wilson Kingson || ghananewsonline.com.gh
