The Ashanti Regional Youth Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC), Yaw Brogya Genfi has denied allegations that he is seeking to unjustifiably nail the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta for a conflict of Interest situation in the issuance of the controversial $2.25 billion domestic bond saga.

He said attempts by the Minister to hide behind the Ministry and allude that he[Brogya Genfi] is unduly targeting the Ministry in his quest for clarity and probe in the matter is wrong.

“The Finance Minister wants to turn tables in the case to make it look like I’m witch hunting the Ministry. I don’t have any problem with the Ministry, neither am I targeting it for anything. It is he, the Finance Minister whom I’ve dragged to CHRAJ for the anti-graft body to investigate” 

“It is therefore the responsibility of the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta to come out and speak to the issues raised in the Bond saga. I have concerns with a possible conflict of interest situation cited in the whole Bond issuance, and it is a matter he needs to clarify and submit to the probe by CHRAJ and should not leave it to the Ministry.”he told sit-in-host Kweku Owusu Adjei on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM.

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta has requested an extra 15 working days to respond to queries of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) on whether or not he contravened the constitution in the public offer of the US$2.25b.

CHRAJ had in their letter dated May 5, 2017 asked the Minister to comment on whether or not he had breached provisions of the 1992 Constitution in the public offer of the bond within 10 days.

The request for the Minister’s comment was based on a petition filed by former Ashanti Regional Youth Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Brogya Gyemfi in his complaint to CHRAJ, in which he alleged that the Minister had placed himself in a conflict of interest position and thus in breach of the constitutional provision.

But the Chief Director of the Finance Ministry, Patrick Numo in a letter dated May 11, 2017 asked for the extension of time to properly respond to issues raised by CHRAJ to the Minister.

The Minority NDC in Parliament last week petitioned the United States Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate US$2.25 billion bond issuance in which Franklin Templeton, a US registered company purchased 95% of 15-year and 7-year bonds.

They claim the bond, participated by only two investors, was “shrouded in secrecy to the extent that Ghanaian investors were denied the opportunity to participate in the deal.”