A member of the 2012 elections Campaign Finance Team of the opposition New Patriotic Party, Ken Ofori Atta, has admitted his office took an overdraft of 1.5 million cedis from local bank Prudential Bank, to finance its activities.
In a statement issued in Accra to respond to a letter from the bank asking for the party to settle its debts, Ofori-Atta said the “loan was guaranteed privately and the Party therefore is not directly liable for it.”
The loan he said “was to supplement the entire polling station operation on Election Day (D Day) including logistics, feeding and stipends. It must be noted that this amount was not the total amount spent on D Day operations.”
The bank’s letter, which had found its way into the media asked the party to settle it’s debts, adding it should be paid off immediately as of April 30.
It is however not clear if the Party paid the said amount by the April 30 date.
Below is Ken Ofori Atta’s statement
Debt with Prudential Bank
It has come to my notice that a letter written to me and copied to the National Chairman, from the Prudential Bank about a transaction that took place during the 2012 election campaign is being circulated in sections of the media.
The letter titled ” Re: Repayment of Overdraft facility of GhC 1,500,000 Demand Notice” is requesting repayment of a facility that I as Chairman of the 2012 Presidential Campaign Finance Team contracted and Guaranteed for purposes of the elections in 2012. I am personally liable for any obligation that arises from this transaction and not in any way the New Patriotic Party.
The facility was taken to complement the resources we had raised to support the operations of our Polling Station Agents. The party leadership at the time was fully aware of it and grateful. The disbursement of these funds was supervised by, and transfers executed by the Campaign Manager.
This was to supplement the entire polling station operation on Election Day (D Day) including logistics, feeding and stipends. It must be noted that this amount was not the total amount spent on D Day operations.
I would urge the supporters of the NPP and the entire public to disregard the mischief that the leakage of this letter and those behind it seek to create.
Our party has always been proud to fund itself by contributions and sacrifices of its members. This loan was guaranteed privately and the Party therefore is not directly liable for it.
Signed
Ken Ofori-Atta
By: Kasapafmonline.com/Ghana
