Kitchen Scandal: Gabby Otchere-Darko Responds To Ablakwa's "Thrilling" Publication But Denies Any Wrongdoing

• Gabby Otchere-Darko has denied allegations that he is masterminding the illegal plan to get the state to pay over GH¢187 million to West Blue
• The claim was first made by opposition NDC MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in a publication he christened "Kitchen Scandal"
• According to Gabby, the claims are spurious and aimed at castigating him for legitimately offering legal advice to a private firm due to his relations with the president

Governing NPP stalwart Gabby Otchere-Darko has denied allegations of nepotism and corruption among others by lawmaker Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in the Kitchen Scandal publication.

Ablakwa, opposition NDC MP for North Tongu, published what he calls an exposé on deep-seated corruption and abuse of power under the Nana Akufo-Addo administration amid claims that Otchere-Darko, a cousin of the president, was trying to illegally take GH¢187,356,969.55 from state coffers.

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Okudzeto Ablakwa published on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, that it troubled him that Gabby was 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 for the payment of the huge amount of money on the basis that the previous administration did not pay West Blue fairly.

He also said Gabby, whom he called the unofficial "Prime Minister" of the current government, has used his influence as a close relative of the president to force the hand people at the Attorney-General's department and Ministry of Finance to back his push to get the state to pay West Blue the H¢187 million.

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Gabby describes "Kitchen Scandal" as a thrilling write-up

In his response, Gabby Otchere-Darko said, while the publication that purports to back the allegations with documents was thrilling, the allegations contained in it are spurious.

Gabby, a private legal practitioner, insists that all he has done, through his firm, Africa Legal Associates (ALA), is to provide legitimate and bonafide legal services to West Blue Ghana Limited.

He said his client West Blue's claim to recover arrears owed by the finance ministry and Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) for work done under the National Single Window and Integrated Risk Management System Contract in August 2015 is founded on the terms of the agreement between the government and the firm.

"Is it the legitimacy of our client’s claim or the quantum of the sum claimed by our client that bewilders you? Further, is this not a simple matter of a legitimate claim arising out of the specific performance of the terms of a contract mutually entered into by the parties?" he as the legislator in his lengthy response allegations.

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Read Gabby's full response published on his Facebook page here.

Bawumia promises "One Constituency, 10 Appointments Policy"

Meanwhile, in other news, YEN.com.gh reported in other news that vice president and NPP flagbearer aspirant Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has proposed a "One Constituency, 10 Appointments Policy".

The Vice President said New Patriotic Party loyalists have been complaining about a lack of appointments for them.

Bawumia said his plan is to ensure 7,000 appointees come from all of Ghana's 275 constituencies.

Parliament praised for death penalty repeal

Also, a UK-based NGO stormed the Parliament of Ghana to commend the Speaker Alban Bagbin and MPs for repealing the death penalty.

Executive Director of the Death Penalty Project UK, Saul Lehrfreund, told the Speaker when he visited Parliament that the repeal of the law was truly historic.

Lehrfreund thanked the Speaker especially for his historic leadership and guidance without which Parliament may not have repealed the law.

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Source: YEN.com.gh