New AMERI deal 'betrayal; stinks to high heavens' – Bentil

The renegotiated agreement between AMERI Energy and the Akufo-Addo-led government stinks, Kofi Bentil, private legal practitioner and Vice-President of Imani Africa, has said.

According to him, the new deal has stabbed critics of the initial deal negotiated by the Mahama administration, including himself and others such as CEO of mPedigree, Bright Simons, in the back.

He wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday, 31 July that: “This AMERI deal stinks to the high heavens and is a betrayal of all who fought against the first one.”

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo recently approved the new deal pending parliamentary approval.

A statement signed by Secretary to the president, Nana Asante Bediatuo, dated 25 July 2018, stated that: “The President of the Republic of Ghana has granted executive approval for the Novation and Amendment Agreement dated July 20, 2018 between (i) the Government of the Republic of Ghana represented by the Minister of Energy (or his authorised representative), (ii) Volta River Authority (VRA), (iii) Africa and Middle East Resource Investment Group (AMERI ENERGY), (iv) Ameri Energy Power Equipment Trading LLC (AMERI EQUIPMENT), (v) Power Projects Sanayi Insaat Ticanet Limited Sirketi (PPR), and (vi) Mytilineos International Trading Company AG (Mytilineos), for operations and maintenance of the existing 250MW AMERI Thermal Plant at Aboadzi, for a period of 15 years.”

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration recently began taking steps to amend portions of the controversial $510 million deal signed by the John Mahama administration.

The current government believes that there was no value-for-money in the deal signed by the NDC administration, hence the renegotiations.

The renegotiated deal is expected to be approved by parliament when the House resumes from recess.

Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, said before parliament rose last week, that the House needs to “interrogate the figures to know that what we are doing is in the best interest of the country, which explains why [the debate on the deal has been delayed].”

“I spoke to the Finance Minister, I spoke to the Attorney General plus the Minister of Energy and we all decided to tarry a while and have a closer look at it,” the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs said.

The government, on Wednesday, 25 July, laid a paper before parliament for the amendment process to start.

It was referred to the Joint Committee on Finance and Mines and Energy for consideration and report by the First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu.