James Kwabena Bomfeh, a.k.a. Kabila, the former acting general secretary of the CPP, has criticized Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the member of parliament for North Tongu, for his recent claims concerning the National Cathedral.
Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa, a one-man crusader, has been working to expose the corruption in the National Cathedral’s construction.
The founder of the Power Chapel Worldwide in Kumasi and secretary of the National Cathedral Board of Trustees, Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, has been accused by the MP of indulging in a conflict of interest, having many identities, and other alleged illegal activities.
According to him, Rev. Kusi-Boateng reportedly transferred GH¢2.6million from the National Cathedral Secretariat to JNS Talent Centre Limited, a company owned by him under his second name, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
Kwabena Adu Gyamfi is the same person bearing the name Victor Kusi Boateng, the MP said in an interview on Peace FM News bulletin.
He has filed a complaint with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the matter.
In response to the accusations, Rev. Kusi Boateng, in a statement released to the press, says he will seek redress over the “defamatory statements” by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
“I wish to assure the general public that the statements made by Mr. Ablakwa are a twisted narration of events to pursue a malicious political agenda. “Ther has never been any criminal intent or any crime committed in my dealings with the Government of Ghana or the National Cathedral”, parts of the statement said.Â
Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng has been defended by the National Cathedral Secretariat, which claims that “a normal verification, expected of a Member of Parliament, would have revealed that this was not an illegal payment but rather a refund of a short-term interest-free loan made by JNS to top up the payments to the National Cathedral contractors.”
James Kwabena Bomfeh questioned the method Mr. Ablakwa allegedly used to expose the religious leader when speaking to Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” morning show.
He questioned why Okudzeto Ablakwa would make the accusations on Facebook when Parliament has the power to call him or anyone else whose activities are dubious.
“You are permitted to contact the Finance Minister. You are allowed to contact the Attorney General. Any individual who serves as the head of the secretariat for a project or enterprise owned by the state may be called to appear before you. Although you didn’t call him, you talked about it on Facebook. Do you want us to sing for you? Is this the best way to fight corruption?, he said.
He also suggested that they use the legal system to address issues of corruption and criminal activity.
“Whether we like it or not, the National Cathedral is a national initiative supported by Ghana’s Supreme Court and approved by Parliament. Put an end to your hypocrisy. Let’s be honest and put an end to these rants. If financial irregularities arise during project execution, turn to the court. No one is exempt from the law”, he added.
