Nana Akomea, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and also the Managing Director of the State Transport Corporation (STC), has joined the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to absorb Charles Adu Boahen from the allegations of influence peddling levelled against him after an investigative piece implicated him.
According to Nana Akomea, there is presently no evidence that the monies demanded by Adu Boahen in the tape were actually paid to him.
This comes after the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) cleared Charles Adu Boahen of allegations related to influence peddling on October 30, 2023.
A term used by a person of power or influence on someone else's behalf in return for money or favours.
The investigation was necessitated after an undercover investigation- "Galamsey Economy"- published by Tiger Eye P.I., implicated the former minister of state for demanding some money from supposed investors, for which he was charged with influence peddling.
In the piece, Adu Boahen was in a discussion with an undercover agent posing as a wealthy Sheikh interested in investing in Ghana.
As a result, the minister apparently solicited an appearance fee for the Vice President and also accepted a cash gift of $40,000.
Nana Akomea clarified in a discussion on TV3 that while Adu Boahen seemed to seek advantage from the situation, there was no evidence confirming that the requested monies had been paid to him.
“He sought to profit from the opportunity; he didn't set out to go and commit the crime. But the opportunity was presented, and he said, Wow, I can let you go and see the vice president and many others. But in return, you have to do something for me that was clearly captured on tape. What we also know happened was that the transaction did not follow through.
“For the transaction to be followed through, the money should have been paid to him; then he would have been seen collecting the money, then the legal case is stronger. But in this case, we don't have any evidence that the monies that he demanded to go and pay to the vice president and invest in zone business were paid,” he said.
The STC MD highlighted the moral implications and legal consequences of the matter. He noted that, while the situation might present moral concerns, the legal standing of the law regarding influence peddling is not explicitly clear in Ghana.
“The issue is quite delicate. If we were talking about morality, I don't think that there would be any dispute because there seems to be a certain moral shortfall. But if we are talking about legality, then the law is not very clear about influence peddling,” he explained.
To him, the mere solicitation of funds does not inherently equate to a crime.
Nana Akomea stressed that the critical aspect of criminality lies in the actual receipt and utilisation of such funds for the alleged purposes, which, in this instance, lacked concrete evidence.
“The person is using their influence with you to procure an advantage for somebody.
Morally, if you hear that your friend has gone to take money or some gift from an applicant for a job, and when your friend comes to speak to you, it is because he has been influenced. Even if he even said to the person, if you give me GH¢ 100, and I can give it to the person, and then the person will facilitate and get you a job, morally you will be upset that a friend of yours will go and involve themselves in that transaction using your name.
“But if they actually collected that money and didn't bring it to you, or even brought it to you (which makes you an accomplice), then some crime has been committed,” he added.
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Leading Member of the NPP, Nana Akomea