I’ve Declared My Assets- Ablakwa

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says he has already declared his assets with the Auditor-General.

According to the MP for North Tongu Constituency, he submitted a written declaration of all his properties before assuming office.

In an interview, he disclosed he is always swift with this obligation.

“I have declared my assets. I’m always on time in declaring my assets. You declare your assets before taking office and after office,” he said on TV3.

It comes after he was linked with ownership of Airport Hill Properties in the Greater Accra Region- an allegation which has been debunked by Finali Limited, the true owners of the properties.

“They first claimed the Airport Hills residence belongs to me and then they put out fake flyers that they have discovered some documents- documents they never published,” the Minister said in the interview.

“I challenge them today to produce the documents they say they have which shows that that Airport Hills land belongs to my sister. They said I bought it and put it in the name of my sister so I’m not paying rent.”

He indicated that he was being vilified by members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the oversight role he took up, exposing rots in the immediate past NPP government as well his appointment as a member of the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) Committee to retrieve stolen state assets by some officials of the said government.

“My only crime is that I am doing the ORAL work and saving this country billions of cedis and dollars and protecting our state assets. So they made me a target.”

Public officials are obliged to declare their assets in compliance with Article 284 of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.

The code enjoins public officials to submit to the Auditor-General a written declaration of all properties or assets owned by, or liabilities owed by, them directly or indirectly within three months after the coming into force of this Constitution or before taking office.

This must be done at the end of every four years and at the end of their term of office.

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini