Financial and energy expert Alex Mould has stated he cannot say for sure that President Nana Akufo-Addo is corrupt, although his administration has so far been characterised by a number of corruption related cases.
“I don’t know whether he himself is corrupt,” he said on TV3 Hot issues Saturday, but added “his [Akufo-Addo’s] government is showing a lot of things that tends towards corruption”.
Citing the BOST-Movenpina contaminated fuel saga, the controversial Kelni GVG deal and the ‘cash for seat’ saga among other scandals, the former GNPC boss said the Akufo-Addo government did not show leadership in the handling of the cases.
“We have so many of these things and Ghanaians just want leadership; the right leadership to ensure that we can reset,” he told host of the show, Nuong Faalong.
Mr Mould whose name has come up as a possible running mate for John Mahama of the National Democratic stated the the Akufo-Addo led New Patriotic Party government has not done much to fight corruption for the last three years.
“I think leadership is all about taking top decisions and making sure people are in line with what you want them to do. So if we don’t see people being penalised for things that they are doing, that means that this is what is expected of them to do and that is not good for us as a country,” he said.
Asked if that suggest Akufo-Addo is corrupt, he responded: “I can’t say he’s incorruptible or not”.
“I’ve not seen anything directly that ties him [Akufo-Addo] to corruption,” Mr Mould said, noting “what you see of the government from his leadership is that they’re not towing the line and I think stronger decision should be taken”.
He added: “I don’t think that we have the right leadership because if we have the right leadership, action will be taken to ensure that all these corruption cases that come up are dealt with properly.
‘Clearing agent’ tag
President Nana Akufo-Addo has come under criticisms for indirectly absolving his appointees of corruption allegations, causing some critics to label him as a ‘clearing agent” but he has rejected the tag, claiming it is unfounded.
He contended in September this year that his appointees whom allegations of corruption were made against were referred to the various investigation bodies and state anti-graft institutions, who cleared them of any wrongdoing.
“It is not my job to clear or convict any person accused of wrongdoing, or of engaging in acts of corruption,” he said at the Ghana Bar Association 2019 Conference in Takoradi on September 9.
The president said his “job is to act on allegations of corruption by referring the issue or issues to the proper investigative agencies for the relevant enquiry and necessary action. That is exactly what has been done since I assumed the mantle of leadership on 7th January 2017.
“If an appointee is cleared of any wrongdoing, the evidence adduced and recommendations made by these agencies, after the investigations are concluded, are what clear the accused persons, not yself. None of these agencies has ever indicated any pressure from the Executive over the investigations” he said.
By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana
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