Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu in the Volta Region, has initiated another round of disinformation campaigns against the government, this time targeting the Bank of Ghana. The North Tongu legislator, who has been on a spree of disinformation campaigns, has raised concerns about some uncirculated banknotes destined for Liberia, which were cleared by the Bank of Ghana into its vault, awaiting re-exportation to Monrovia. This has prompted Kow Esuman, legal advisor to the President, to expose the lies in Mr Ablakwa’s claims.
Although documents shared by Okudzeto Ablakwa did not specify the amount involved, the North Tongu MP claims that US$20 million in cash arrived in Ghana via Kotoka International Airport, potentially enabling criminals to track the movement of the said money. In a post on X, Mr Ablakwa claimed that “even though the Bank of Ghana asserts the money was ordered by the Central Bank of Liberia and that the cash will be re-exported to Monrovia whenever there is an available flight, other intercepted documents, including an air waybill, indicate emphatically that the consignee is the Bank of Ghana and not the Central Bank of Liberia.”
Responding to Mr. Ablakwa’s claims, which could potentially disrupt the existing peace between Ghana and Liberia, Mr. Esuman questioned whether the chosen method of handling such sensitive information was appropriate. He also debunked Mr. Ablakwa’s allegations and his supporting documentation.
“I see no mention of US$20 million anywhere but for your commentary. I stand to be corrected. Furthermore, there is no currency stated on the air waybill except for ‘GBP,’ which refers to Pounds Sterling. But even that refers to the cost of the shipment,” the President’s legal advisor noted.
“Perhaps, you may have some additional information that no one else has, but until that is disclosed, if at all, your supporting documents do not support your write-up and the allegation being made. If this is all you have as of now, then your conclusions are premature and erroneous,” he added.
Mr. Essuman further educated Okudzeto Ablakwa on why the consignee on the waybill is Ghana and not Liberia, exposing the ignorance of the North Tongu legislator.
“The BoG letter dated August 21, 2024, which you’ve posted, states that the uncirculated banknotes have been ordered by the Central Bank of Liberia to be kept in the vault of BoG. If that is the case, then the proper consignee for the purposes of the air waybill is the Bank of Ghana.
“The Central Bank of Liberia cannot be the proper consignee of the goods stated on the air waybill. The simple question to ask is: ‘Who is receiving the cash from the airline? Is it BoG or the Central Bank of Liberia?’ The obvious answer is BoG. When the uncirculated banknotes are re-exported to Liberia, the proper consignee there will be the Central Bank of Liberia.”
He, therefore, called on Mr. Ablakwa to do the right thing and correct the misinformation put into the public domain.