A former Minister of Trade and Industry under the Jerry Rawlings administration who was jailed when J. A. Kufuor became President of Ghana has exonerated then Attorney General and Minister of Justice Nana Akufo-Addo of complicity in what he believes is the miscarriage of justice which resulted in his incarceration.
Mr. Abodakpi, who was then Member of Parliament (MP) for Keta, received a 10-year jail term on February 5, 2007 after a trial that began in 2002 for willfully causing financial loss of $400,000 to the State.
He was tried and found guilty together with the late Victor Selormey, a former Deputy Finance Minister on the counts of conspiracy to commit crime, defrauding by false pretences and willfully causing a total loss of ¢2.73 billion to the State.
The fraud was committed when Mr. Abodakpi and the late Victor Selormey co-chaired the Trade and Investment Programme.
Speaking, however, on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show on Monday June 23, 2014, Mr Abodakpi maintained that the facts did not support his conviction but it was only pushed through on the orders of President John Agyekum Kufuor.
According to Ghana’s former Ambassador to Malaysia, “President Kufuor called for the docket and advised that some (of the people implicated) should be prosecuted, although the Attorney General advised him not to pursue the case in that manner. I think Akufo-Addo did a professional job, as lawyer and Attorney General (when he kicked against the prosecution)”.
Recounting his experiences to host Captain Smart, Mr Abodakpi described the former president as “very vindictive”, saying he was warned that the new president was bent on exacting retribution for a heated argument a long time ago, when Kufuor was leader of the opposition.
“I had a clash with Kufuor, then as leader of the opposition on a political platform at the Cape Vars [University of Cape Coast]. He took a strong position and I took him on strongly. Later when he became president I had privileged information that president Kufuor told somebody ‘Dan insulted me, and I’m going to deal with him. And you this person, I know you are close to him. You better move away or you will suffer collateral damage’. And indeed this person was dismissed as Director General of Ghana Port”, Mr Abodakpi alleged.
The former Minister, now aspiring to be national chairman for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), maintained that even the judges who presided over the cases were punished by their conscience.
“Even the judges who jailed some of our people, I know they have conscience. After they jailed Peprah and others all the two judges died. I believe it’s their conscience that drove them to the grave”.
Speaking specifically about former President John Agyekum Kufuor, the aspiring NDC Chairman stated: “I think he should repent. What did I do wrong? You asked for a report, it was done and I recommended that money should be paid for work done.
“I’ve asked God to forgive him. I don’t bear President Kufuor any grudge. Because after all this, he had the presence of mind to grant me pardon.
“Never again should a new government decide to jail officials of the previous government in order to feel stronger”.
Mr Dan Abodakpi was granted a pardon by way of remission of the remainder of his sentence on May 24, 2008 by President Kufuor.
A statement signed by Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, Chief of Staff and Minister for Presidential Affairs, said the President was exercising his constitutional prerogative of mercy in favour of Mr. Abodakpi and the decision was on humanitarian grounds.
