The brouhaha behind the Johnson Asiamah resignation, as Second-Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, is beginning to make quite a bit of sense to me now. If, indeed, the man had been prevailed upon by elements inside the democratically ousted Mahama government to print at least GH₵ 1 billion in hard currency, in a bid to bankrolling the former President’s DOA (Dead-On-Arrival) 2016 reelection campaign, then, in all likelihood, there will be hell to pay in the offing, as Americans are wont to say (See “ ‘I’m No Criminal; I’ll Jealously Guard My Image” Classfmonline.com / Ghanaweb.com 1/6/18).
So far, Dr. Asiamah’s lawyers appear to be providing critically thinking observers with a remarkable insight into the fact that the alleged Daily Guide report (I had yet to read it, as of this writing) detailing attempts by Mahama regime operatives to have Dr. Asiamah facilitate the printing of the aforesaid amount of hard currency may have some meat or teeth to it. The former Second-Deputy BoG Governor has also been widely reported to have said that he is prepared to give a frank and honest testimony of his stewardship at the Central Treasury, whenever he is invited to do so. We hope that moment would come sooner than later.
It is also significant to note that rather than any of the top operatives from the headquarters of the National Democratic Congress, we have Mrs. Joyce Bawa Motgari, the cousin and spokesperson of Mr. Mahama, crusading for Dr. Asiamah. Of course, I am very much aware of the fact that Mrs. Motgari was also the spokesperson for the 2016 Mahama Presidential Campaign. And so it may be quite accurate to observe that Mrs. Motgari’s views are representative of the views of the former President’s. The thinly veiled threats underneath them ought not to faze anybody in the Akufo-Addo-led ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). Rather, they ought to galvanize the present government into ensuring that the level and sort of nonesuch criminality of which the Mahama regime stands accused does not happen again within living memory.
Finally, the proverbial chips are beginning to fall into place, now that Dr. Asiamah’s lawyers are telling us that: “It must be stated, however, that as part of our client’s regular functions, he encountered several persons with business interests in relation to his official duties, issues on the economy and other related matters. None of such can be construed as criminal or illegal. We wish to further state that our client[,] as a distinguished and law-abiding citizen, will be ready to give account of his stewardship.”
Needless to say, the question of whether any of his official, and non-official, encounters with people with business interests at the Bank of Ghana, while Dr. Asiamah was the number-three man in command, can or cannot be construed in terms of any acts of illegality or criminality, must be left to the courts to determine. There is also bound to be quite a bit that may be said and published by the detractors of Dr. Asiamah before he gets his proverbial date in court, as surely as he must be looking forward to the same, if, indeed, the allegation concerning the money-printing scam involving the Mahama Posse is to be conclusively and appropriately resolved.
If the former President is also forensically found to have been involved in the alleged scam, then the least that our law courts can do is to ensure that Mr. John Dramani Mahama is promptly and effectively banned from any active political engagement for the rest of his life. Of course, the best form of justice would be to have Mr. Mahama rigorously prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
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