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Haruna Iddrisu is head of the Minority Caucus in Parliament
Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said the 52 charges against former Public Works and Housing Minister Collins Dauda and four others for causing financial loss to the state in connection with of Saglemi’s $ 200 million affordable housing saga, are frivolous and deceptive. at the top.
Mr. Iddrisu, who led other minority deputies to court on Thursday August 5, 2021, to show solidarity with the deputy for Asutifi Sud, told reporters “It is instructive that they are being indicted when the courts are themselves. even on vacation, “observed Mr. Iddrisu, wondering,” What’s in a hurry and what’s the desperation in there? “
Regarding the alleged financial loss, Mr. Iddrisu asked: “Whose value?
“The attorney general says it’s $ 64 million. I think these are frivolous and fabricated accusations intended to persecute and harass politically, ”he said.
“We remain indisputable. I don’t think these accusations can withstand the test of the law. I am very convinced of it, “he said.
Mr Dauda and Kweku Agyeman Mensah, also a former housing minister, appeared in court on Thursday, August 5, 2021 and granted separate bonds.
Mr. Dauda was released on bail after pleading not guilty to causing financial loss.
Mr. Agyeman Mensah and a third defendant, Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu, director general of the Ministry of Housing, were released on bail of $ 65 million each.
They must both produce three sureties each, one of whom must be a public officer.
Another defendant, Mr. Andrew Clocanas, executive chairman of Constructura OAS Ghana Limited, was also admitted on $ 179 million bail with three guarantors, one of whom is expected to be a civil servant.
A fifth defendant, Nouvi Tetteh Angelo, was also admitted on $ 13 million bail with three sureties.
The court, chaired by Judge Comfort Tasiame, seized the passports of all the defendants.
The case was adjourned until October 13.
According to the facts of the case presented by Attorney General Godfred Dame, Mr. John Mahama, as president, granted an executive order for the construction of 5,000 affordable housing units in August 2012 in Saglemi in the Ningo Prampram, the constituency of the Greater Accra region.
Parliament approved the deal, funded by Credit Suisse.
The houses were to be sold to workers under mortgage arrangements provided by the Ghana Home Loans Company as it was at the time.
A Brazilian company, Construtora OAS Ltd, was the contractor.
The AG said that the borrower, the Ministry of Finance and the lender signed a facility agreement on January 4, 2013 to release $ 200 million to finance the construction of the 5,000 housing units, on the day the minister of Housing also signed the EPC agreement with Construtora OAS, represented by Clocanas, the fourth accused.
According to the GA, the project was to be executed in four phases on 2,172 acres of land at a contract price of $ 200 million, including consultancy services.
An escrow management agreement, a prerequisite for handing over the facility to the borrower, has also been signed, in accordance with the facility and EPC agreements, he said.
Mr Dame further stated that on February 27, 2014, Mr Dauda, without parliamentary approval, reviewed the EPC agreement and signed both the original and revised (revised) agreement with Construtora OAS, represented by Clocanas .
The revision would have changed the scope of work and the application of the $ 200 million approved by Parliament.
This new agreement required the contractor to carry out the project in three phases on a 1,272 acre site, while the $ 200 million was now to be allocated to the execution of the first phase of the project alone, comprising approximately 1,502 units. housing.
This was contrary to executive and parliamentary approvals, as well as facility management and escrow agreements.
On December 21, 2016, according to the facts, the Chief Director, Yakubu, again reviewed the original and revised the (revised) agreement and signed them (the second and his revised or reworded), without recourse to Parliament. .
This led to a further reduction in the scope of work to 1,412 units at a revised price of $ 181 million, and extended the completion period until July 31, 2017, the prosecutor said.
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