I was asked to maintain the GPGC contract even before the decision to repeal was made public – reveals Boakye Agyarko

Former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko has revealed that a GPGC representative allegedly pleaded with him to remove his contract from the list of contracts to be terminated, even before the repeal decision was made public.

A letter signed by him, communicating the termination of the contract was questioned following the award of a judgment debt of 170 million euros to GPGC.

But in an interview with Asempa FM, Mr Agyarko said he acted on a cabinet decision based on technical advice.

He could not therefore withdraw the GPGC contract from the termination since the instruction is supposed to come from the Cabinet.

“Even before the letter was sent, someone from GPGC came to my office. A gentleman, he introduced himself as Manuel Soyah. He came to plead that the GPGC should be taken out of the termination, so I asked on what basis? He had a lot of things to say and I responded by saying Sir, who am I? Cabinet gave me instructions.

“If I have to change the instructions, a similar instruction has to come from cabinet that these people, upon closer examination, have been taken out of it, so I can oblige you, but you’re sitting here saying it can work.” This is not how bureaucracies work. It’s not my decision, it’s the Cabinet decision, so I can’t, ”he said.

Boakye Agyarko also urged the government to reconsider its position on international arbitration, alleging bias against third world countries.

“I was of the opinion, when we came to government, that we should remove all these international arbitration clauses from our contracts. The structure of arbitration has never favored any third world country.

“What is international arbitration? They don’t trust your legal system. They don’t trust your guarantees and representations. If they do not trust our legal system, let us improve our legal system so that it can generate trust and respect for all, ”he advised.