The Former Minister of Energy, Kofi Adda has taken a swipe at former UK envoy to Ghana, Craig Murray, saying “he is not in his normal state of mind.”
Mr. Adda says, Craig Murray lacks the requisite information needed to comment on the Balkan and Zakhem energy contracts. Mr. Murray is on record as having claimed that Ghana paid a whopping 80 million dollars to Zhakem to install at Kpone, some power turbines VRA bought from manufacturer Alsthom for 70 Million dollars.
He told Citi FM that some three years after the money was paid, Ghanaian taxpayers have nothing to show for the 150 million dollars sunk into the project. He accused Zakhem of stealing the Ghanaian taxpayer’s money and covering up their failure to deliver on the terms of the contract with a long concrete wall at the project site.
Zhakem has however denied the allegations and threatened to sue Mr. Murray if he fails to retract the defamatory comments he has made about the Company. But, Mr Murray is defiant. He told Citi Breakfast Show Host Moro Awudu he is prepared for a Zhakem law suit.
On the Citi Breakfast show on Tuesday, February 23, the former Energy Minister disputed the figures put out by Craig Murray over the energy contracts signed between the Government of Ghana and Zakham and Balkan.
Mr Adda said he could not remember the definite figures involved in both transactions but said the figures claimed by Mr Craig Murray are not right. The two contracts were negotiated about three years ago.
Zakhem was to install energy turbines at the Kpone Power project site. The turbines were bought at 70 million dollars by the Volta River Authority. Zakhem were paid 80 million dollars for the installation as 30 percent mobilization fee.
The current Minister of Energy Dr Joseph Oteng Adjei has confirmed to Citi News that the said amount was paid to Zakhem upfront. Mr Adda also confirmed to the Citi Breakfast show that he authorized the payment of the mobilization fee though he claims he does not readily recall the specific amount paid.
With the Balkan energy contract, which Mr Murray has described as “astonishingly corrupt”, Mr Adda says the former UK envoy can’t be absolutely right on the figures he has churned out.
The Osagyefo Barge was leased out to Balkan for 10 million dollars and Ghana is to pay Balkan about 45 million dollars yearly for the running of the Barge for power production. Mr Adda however told host of Citi Breakfast Show, Bernard Avle that the actual situation is different from that although he wouldn’t provide specifics.
Source: Citifmonline.com
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