Kitchen Scandal: Ablakwa Drops Details Of Gabby Otchere-Darko's Involvement In Shady GH¢187M West Blue Deal

• The NDC MP for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said Gabby Otchere-Darko is trying to illegally take GH¢187,356,969.55 from state coffers
• Okudzeto Ablakwa says Gabby is now the lawyer for West Blue, a company whose deal with the Mahama government the NPP criticised sternly while in opposition in 2015
• According to Okudzeto Ablakwa Gabby is pushing the payment of the huge amount of money on the basis that the previous administration did not pay West Blue fairly

There is a grand scheme led by President Nana Akufo-Addo's cousin, Gabby Otchere-Darko, to illegally draw GH¢187,356,969.55 from state coffers, according to lawmaker Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

Titling his revelation "Kitchen Scandal" in reference to the alleged involvement of Akufo-Addo's entire "kitchen cabinet ministers," Ablakwa says the payment concerns a deal between the government and West Blue Ltd.

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West Blue had been contracted by the John Dramani Mahama administration in 2015 to provide a National Single Window System.

How NPP fought Mahama administration over the West Blue deal

Then-opposition NPP raised concerns about the deal at the time, but according to the MP when the NPP came into government in 2016, it changed its stance on the deal, with Gabby's law firm now providing legal services for West Blue.

"Despite the NPP’s firm public opposition to the West Blue contract and termination of same, President Akufo-Addo’s cousin and grand master of his “Kitchen Cabinet,” Gabby Otchere-Darko has strangely become the chief advocate and super strategist for West Blue," Ablakwa wrote.

The opposition NDC MP for North Tongu has published details of the deal and correspondence purported to be between Otchere-Darko and the finance ministry pushing for the release of the GH¢187.3 million.

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Gabby, according to Okudzeto Ablakwa, is demanding the payments on the basis that the previous administration did not pay West Blue fairly.

"Now Gabby actually suggests that President Mahama’s government did not pay West Blue fully and fairly — wonders they say will never end!" writes Okudzeto Ablakwa.

Attorney-General allegedly in on the shady deal

Ablakwa's revelation on Facebook claims the Attorney-General’s office and individuals within the finance ministry have been talked into backing the release of funds to properly pay West Blue.

"In an unusual development, the Attorney-General has issued three pro-Gabby legal opinions on this matter," he disclosed.

The North Tongu MP says the legal opinion fails to include inputs from the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority.

Ablakwa alleged that Gabby and Attorney-General Godfred Dame are saying emphatically that despite the fact that the value-for-money condition precedent was not met by West Blue, the contract is still valid.

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The MP wants, among other things, the president to immediately instruct his finance minister and the GRA to ignore Gabby’s 6-week ultimatum for the release of the GH¢187.3 million and not to pay the money.

Gabby Otchere-Darko is yet to respond to the allegations.

Gabby Otchere-Darko accused of renegotiating Ameri deal during Akufo-Addo first term

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported in a separate story that former energy minister Boakye Agyarko claimed NPP stalwart Gabby Otchere-Darko interfered with the controversial Ameri deal.

Agyarko accused Otchere-Darko of renegotiating the Ameri deal on the blind side of the mandated committee.

The former Energy Minister said Akufo-Addo was aware of Otchere-Darko's alleged interference in the renegotiation.

Mahama says NPP government has created a mess

Also, John Dramani Mahama thumbed down Nana Akufo-Addo's management of national affairs.

In an interview with KSM, Mahama said if the things happening under Akufo-Addo had happened under his presidency, he would have been crucified.

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The NDC presidential candidate for the 2024 elections also said Ghanaians don't trust politicians anymore because Akufo-Addo and his ministers have been a failure.

Mahama berates Cecilia Dapaah for keeping huge sums of money at her home

Former president John Dramani Mahama recently reacted to news that huge sums of money were stolen from the home of former sanitation minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

The NDC presidential candidate for the 2024 election said even if the minister honestly earned the $1 million, €300,000 and millions of Ghana cedis stolen at her home, it was baffling that she would keep the money there in the first place.

Mahama tweeted on Friday, July 21, 2023, that Nana Akufo-Addo is not setting a good example for public officeholders in his administration.

Source: YEN.com.gh