L-R: Former President Akufo-Addo, Dr Mustapha Hamid and Kissi Agyebeng are public officials
Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has reportedly failed to substantiate his claim that former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo gifted him a house while he was in office.
The disclosure was made by the Director of Strategy, Research and Communication at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Samuel Darko, who said investigations revealed that the former NPA CEO possessed a house for which he was questioned.
According to Darko, Dr Abdul-Hamid, during interrogation, claimed the property was a gift from former President Akufo-Addo but failed to provide any reason for the alleged gift.
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“When he was asked to provide legal documentation to support the claim, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart refused. His lawyers subsequently intervened, arguing that the demand amounted to harassment and insisting that the questioning be halted,” Darko said.
He continued, “Under OSP law, where a public officer fails or refuses to declare assets that are later traced to him, the OSP may apply for forfeiture. They forget that a person can be investigated for other offences while standing trial. That is their confusion, not an OSP creation.
“One of the properties in question is a house which Mustapha Hamid claims was a gift from former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. However, he has failed or refused to provide documents to support this claim. These are matters the Office wants him to address, but his lawyers are claiming harassment,” Darko wrote on Facebook.
Darko also described the response as unsatisfactory and indicated that the OSP would demand documentation in subsequent meetings.
He cautioned that consequences would follow if the property was found to have been acquired illegally.
Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and nine others are currently facing 54 corruption-related charges brought by the OSP, with the case before the courts to determine the fate of the accused persons.
SB/MA
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