Ghana Gas GHC8M free cash – Ellembelle DCE demands apology, retraction, threatens court action

Kwasi Bonzoh, District Chief Executive for Ellembelle in the Western Region has threatened to seek redress in court if he does not get an immediate retraction and apology over an allegation that he had received over GHC8 Million from the Chief Executive of Ghana National Gas Company Limited (GNGC), Dr. Ben K.D. Asante.

The allegation was put out by Ernest Owusu-Bempah, the Director of Corporate Communications at GNGC, who told Nzema FM that apart from the GHC8 Million Dr. Asante allegedly gave to Bonzoh, the same Bonzoh had benefited from several handouts from the Ghana Gas CEO including educational sponsorships, cash benefits, sponsoring of his political campaign and other activities.

“If Kwasi Bonzoh can testify, we have paid over GHC8 Million cedis to him, Kwasi Bonzoh and I am daring anybody with the facts.

“I Owusu-Bempah, I personally led Kwasi Bonzoh to Dr. Asante and he signed an amount of GHC8 Million. I Owusu-Bempah, I don’t tell lies. I would not tell a lie for anything. Kwasi Bonzoh is my brother. We were both trained by Freddie Blay during the opposition days and I am telling you this fact”, Owusu-Bempah stated.

In response, the DCE, Kwasi Bonzoh, flatly denied the allegations and said there had never been a point in his life whether in his private or personal capacity that he followed Owusu-Bempah to the office of the Ghana Gas CEO or any worker there to receive an amount of GHC8 million.

“I wonder if the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Ghana Gas himself, would dare defend such an outrageous claim by his Senior Manager that he doles out such huge sums of the taxpayer’s money to private individuals”, Kwasi Bonzoh noted in a statement.

Below is the full text of the statement issued by Kwasi Bonzoh on Sunday November 6:

GHANA GAS HAS NEVER PAID ME GHC8M

– ELLEMBELLE DCE – KWASI BONZOH

 Following recent allegations in the media made by Mr. Ernest Owusu-Bempah, Head of Corporate Communications at Ghana National Gas Company Limited to the effect that I have received Eight Million Ghana Cedis (GH₵8,000,000) from the Company (Ghana Gas), I vehemently condemn same and wish to set the records straight, that:

1. The said allegations are palpably false, absurd and made with malice to lower my hard-earned reputation before right thinking members of the society.

2. I state emphatically that I, Kwasi Bonzoh, has never received the said amount of GHC8 Million from Ghana Gas neither from its CEO Dr. Ben Asante nor any other official of the company either in my private capacity or in my capacity as District Chief Executive (DCE) of the Ellembelle District Assembly.

3. Ghana Gas is one of several companies operating within the Ellembelle District that are obliged by Law, to honour their statutory obligations towards the District Assembly including payment of Property Rates and Business Operating Permits.

4. There are duly audited records available to prove that Ghana Gas has within the past six (6) years thus from 2017 to date, paid a total amount of Four Million, Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH₵ 4,450,000) to the Ellembelle District Assembly in fulfillment of its statutory tax obligations.

5. The above stated amount was paid in several installments via cheques issued to the Ellembelle District Assembly and NOT to KWASI BONZOH, and accordingly paid into the District Assembly’s account.

6. The District Assembly is mandated by law to generate revenue from ratable properties and businesses within the district for developmental activities. Therefore, as DCE, together with my able officers, we have a duty to ensure that businesses operating within the district are compliant with their tax obligations so that their operations would bring some significant benefits directly to the indigenes.

7. I wish to further put on record that this is not the first of such attacks on my person coming from an official of Ghana Gas. Mr. Owusu-Bempah’s recent attack comes on the back of previous unsuccessful ‘smear campaigns’ led by certain officers of Ghana Gas including Mr. Stephen Donkor, Senior Manager, Community Relations, and his cohorts who have elected to use their official positions in the Company to malign me, in pursuit of their own parochial political interest in Ellembelle. In fact they have levelled all manner of spurious allegations against me including accusing me of selling for personal gains protocol employment slots given to me by Ghana Gas Company knowing very well that I have never been offered any such protocol slots.

8. I wonder if the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Ghana Gas himself, would dare defend such an outrageous claim by his Senior Manager that he doles out such huge sums of the taxpayer’s money to private individuals.

9. Again, I find it curious that Mr. Ernest Owusu-Bempah, a Senior public official and senior party communications officer would meddle in NPP internal politics at Ellembelle, particularly in a divisive manner to the extent of referring to some party members as “Kwasi Bonzoh supporters” when indeed there is only ONE NPP in Ellembelle as the party is not fragmented into individual supporters’ group or whatsoever.

10. Such divisive comments especially coming from the Ghana Gas P.R.O and Deputy Communications Director at the National level of the party is unfortunate, and most unwelcome. I therefore entreat the National Communications Director of the NPP to school his deputy to desist from making such conflict-potent statements which are made in bad faith hence non-conciliatory and does not augur well for party unity.

11. Ernest Owusu-Bempah is consequently advised to honorably retract his false statements within 48 hours or prove its truthfulness in a court of Law.

12. The media houses that published same defamatory statements are as well to take notice that the claims are DIRTY LIES and must be subsequently guided and do the needful.

       Signed

HON. KWASI BONZOH

ELLEMBELLE DCE