News
Minority demands full disclosure on energy sector debts
The Minority in Parliament is disputing claims by the Minister of Energy, John Peter Amewu, that the government has settled in full its indebtedness to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The caucus has, therefore, challenged Mr Amewu to come out with the total debt portfolio in the energy sector so that Ghanaians appreciated the true state of indebtedness of the country in that sector.
Mr Amewu at the Ministers’ bi-weekly press briefing in Accra on Tuesday to update Ghanaians on the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation said the government had cleared the legacies debt in the sector including the GH¢2.63 billion it inherited from the previous government.
“It is a fact that on assumption of office, this administration was confronted with a huge indebtedness to the ECG. As of December 2016 the state owed ECG GH¢ 2.63 billion. Government ensured it was current on all bills incurred from 2017,” Mr Amewu said.
But the ranking member on the Mines and Energy Committee and Member of Parliament for Damango, Adam Mutawakilu, briefing the media in Parliament yesterday said the claims by the Energy Minister were not true.
“Currently, the ECG owes the Ghana Gas Company more than US$800 million, and, if you multiply $800 million by the exchange rate of GH¢5.5 that is over GH¢4 billion owed to one company. Besides, independent power producers have not been paid US$1.26 billion.
“The Minister of Energy did some cherry-picking analysis of the energy sector debts by picking debts of metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies owed to the ECG and fuel supply to analyse government’s performance in addressing the energy sector debt.
“What he refused to do was picking the total energy sector debts, including what debts the government inherited, what it had added and what debt is left. We therefore call on the minister to, as a matter of urgency, let Ghanaians know how much energy sector debt is left,” Mr Mutawakilu stated.
According to him, as far back as 2015, the legacy debt from 1992 to 2015 was US$2.4 billion.
With the introduction of the Energy Sector Levies Act (ESLA), he said, the debt had dropped to US$2.2 billion as at the end of 2016.
“So before President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo came to power, he knew that the energy sector debt was $2.2 billion and this is made up of what government owed the ECG, suppliers, independent power producers, banks and others.
“So by just coming to pick one item to analyse and say that you are doing well cannot be used to measure your performance.
“We call on the Minister of Energy to tell us how much debt is left for Ghanaians to pay, what has the ESLA, introduced by former President Mahama raised and how much they have been able to manage and to pay so that we will be able to know the total debt of the energy sector,” he demanded.
He claimed that out of what government had paid to fuel suppliers, the highest beneficiary was StratCom Energy which he alleged belonged to “family and friends of the Energy Minister.”
“So the payment of liquid supplied is just to liquid his family and friends to make money when independent power producers had not been paid US$1.26 billion.
“That is why we are asking that the Minister of Energy comes with the whole portfolio of debt so that we will know exactly how much we do owe as a country in the energy sector,” he stated.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
The Attorney General has filed an application at the High Court seeking to set aside an earlier order that allowed Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, the first accused in a pending criminal case, to travel to the United Kingdom for specialist medical treatment.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice said the application was filed on behalf of the Republic after new information came to the attention of prosecutors following the court’s decision on June 29, 2026.
According to the Office, the new developments significantly change the circumstances under which the court granted Mr. Aludiba permission to travel.
The Attorney General said court documents filed in support of the application allege that Mr. Aludiba attempted to use an order from a differently constituted High Court in a separate case to access money held in bank accounts that remain frozen under valid orders obtained by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
The Office said the bank reportedly declined the attempted withdrawal and informed the investigative authorities.
According to the statement, the alleged attempt happened shortly before Mr. Aludiba was scheduled to leave Ghana.
It said the development raises concerns about compliance with existing court orders, the integrity of the ongoing criminal trial, and the possibility that he may not return to face trial if allowed to leave the country.
The Attorney General said these facts were not before the court when it granted the travel request and could influence its decision if they had been known.
It said the application is asking the High Court to reconsider its earlier decision in the interest of justice.
The Office stressed that the application is part of the normal legal process under Ghanaian law and does not seek to determine the outcome of the criminal case.
It noted that Mr. Aludiba continues to enjoy the constitutional presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
The statement further disclosed that following his arrest, Mr. Aludiba has been granted bail by the Economic and Organised Crime Office.
The Office of the Attorney General said it will not comment further because the matter is currently before the High Court.
It reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the rule of law, protecting the integrity of criminal proceedings and ensuring due process for all accused persons.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has denied reports suggesting that GH¢308,000 was stolen from the Authority by one of its personnel.
In a statement, the DVLA said the money at the centre of the alleged theft case does not belong to the Authority and was not taken from any of its accounts.
According to the Authority, the case involves a personal dispute between two individuals, one of whom is a former National Service Personnel who currently works with the DVLA on contract.
It explained that although the individual is attached to the Authority, the alleged offence has no connection with its operations, finances or official duties.
The DVLA said it has not suffered any financial loss as a result of the incident and described media reports suggesting otherwise as inaccurate and misleading.
The Authority was reacting to a media publication with the headline: “DVLA Service Personnel allegedly steals GH¢308K to purchase Hyundai Elantra saloon car, a Samsung 50-inch television set and pay sibling’s school fees.”
It urged media organisations and the public to report the matter accurately to avoid creating the false impression that public funds belonging to the DVLA had been stolen.
The DVLA assured the public that its financial systems remain secure and that its operations have not been affected.
The Authority reaffirmed its commitment to integrity and accountability, adding that it has confidence in the legal process and will fully cooperate with the police if required.
By: Jacob Aggrey
