The latest revelation by Africawatch magazine that one of the key persons among the
‘Kyebi Mafia’ responsible for raising funds
for NPP flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo ahead of 2012 elections is a convicted
money launderer has raised fresh fears among well- meaning Ghanaians that drug
money is what will be fuelling the NPP’s campaign this year.
Nana Poku Ofori-Atta is the latest revelation as yet
another ex-convict in the ‘Kyebi Mafia’, the de facto NPP campaign team made
largely of the flagbearer’s relatives for the 2012 elections.
According to Africawatch, “…Nana Poku served jail time in Germany… for money
laundering”. Money
laundering is the criminal act of turning illegal money into legal one. Most
often, laundered money is from the sale of heroin, cocaine, wee and other
illicit drugs.
Yet, this ex-convict is still “… a close confidant of” of Nana Akufo-Addo and is
even described
as “a very influential member of the
inner circle…”
What is even
more of a worry to many Ghanaians, including some NPP activists, is that Nana
Poku is one of the people in the inner circle tasked to raise funds for the
2012 elections.
“Where will he raise money from? How are we going to
be sure it is not drug money he has raised for the campaign? The fact that he
has served his term does not necessarily mean that he may not do it again. Look
at Raymond Amankwah. After completing his jail term in Germany for drug
trafficking, he came out only to go back to drug trafficking culminating in his
arrest in Brazil for trafficking heroine into that country. He was subsequently
tried, found guilty and jailed. So, where is the guarantee that drug money or
laundered money will not find its way into Nana Akufo-Addo’s team” an NPP
official who pleaded anonymity said in an interview with this paper.
Nana Poku, is also reported by Africawatch to have managed about $47 million of Nana
Akufo-Addo’s
campaign funds together with Ken Ofori-Atta, Keli Gadzekpo and Edward ‘Bumpty’
Akufo-Addo from the head office of Databank Financial Services Ltd. in Accra
during the 2008 elections.
Many wonder how much of that staggering amount Nana
Poku contributed to the Akufo-Addo campaign and the sources of the money. It
also raises questions about how clean money from Databank Financial Services is.
With Nana Akufo-Addo himself not far from drugs, his
brother-in-law, Raymond Amankwa a convicted drug trafficker on two occasions,
his cousin, Amfo Kwakye also a convicted drug trafficker, ex-money launderer,
Nana Poku’s presence in his fund-raising team raises eye-brows and fuels
speculations that drug money may be part of Akufo-Addo’s ‘all die be die’
financial war chest!
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Anon