Accra: Parliament has rejected a motion by the Minority Caucus to establish an ad hoc committee to investigate an alleged $214 million loss under the Gold for Reserves programme.
According to Ghana News Agency, the motion was sponsored by Mr. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Ofoase-Ayirebi. It aimed to examine the programme's design, implementation, governance, financial performance, and environmental impact. The Minority Caucus believed that such an investigation was essential to ensure that state funds were not linked to illegal mining activities.
The Majority Caucus opposed the motion, contending that the reported losses were operational costs and did not warrant a formal probe. They maintained that these costs were routine transactional expenses incurred during the programme's execution.
The motion was ultimately rejected by a voice vote. Mr. Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, also denied the Minority's subsequent request for a secret ballot. Mr. Oppong Nkrumah had argued that the inquiry was necessary to ensure transparency and accountability in the handling of state funds, but the Majority Caucus stood firm in their position, leading to the motion's rejection.