Is that the thanks I get? The story of Hon Oquaye - accused of cheating, India High Commission hails him

THE ACTING Head of Mission in India has come out categorically to clear the air over media reports that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome Kwabenya in the Greater Accra Region, Hon. Mike Oquaye, does not have a single dollar outstanding in his name as debt.

“I wish to advise that as per our records, and to the best of our knowledge, there are no outstanding amounts due from you.

Two external audits have been undertaken on the Mission's accounts since you left charge of the Mission, and from those auditing reports there is no indication that any advances are outstanding and due from you,” Mr. Harold Adlai Agyeman, acting Head of Mission, wrote in response to an anxious letter from Hon. Oquaye enquiring about alleged indebtedness at the Mission, which has gained currency in the media in Ghana.

Hon. Oquaye, who is also the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, said that he had worked his butt off for Ghana in a manner which should attract praise, not condemnation, as some sections of the media are making out.

He said he is rather owed money for the efforts he made to lobby the India Government to assist Ghana with more than $60 million for the Presidential Complex, ($30 million) and support for the rural electrification projects (30 million). On top of that, he was responsible for the 3,000 tractors that came to Ghana for the people and Government of Ghana.

It was established that Prof. Oquaye received only one salary, which covered the payment in India from January to October 2005.

This period, it was confirmed through documents from the Second Deputy Speaker, included his accumulated leave for four months.

In 2006, auditors from Ghana went to India and said Prof. Oquaye should rather be paid in Ghana, whereupon Oquaye asked that those monies already paid him, should revert to chest, and the confusion arising from that, was what was captured in an interim report and made available to the press.

Now the correct situation has now been captured in the final report which completely clears him.

Not for a month, since he was MP and also acting High Commissioner, was he paid what was due him in Ghana.

Prof. Aaron Oquaye, a leading member of the NPP, who has been at the receiving end of attacks as a result of media reports, is due to hold a press conference tomorrow to set the records straight. According to our information, apart from the fact that the MP would be explaining the whole issues, other plans are in the offing to battle it out in court.