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PV Obeng denies ever taking bribe from
SCANCOM
Accra, July 27, Ghanadot/GNA - Mr P.V. Obeng, a former top
advisor under the Provisional Defence Council (PNDC) and
National Democratic Congress (NDC) administrations, on
Friday denied claims that he took bribes from Norwegian
cement giant, SCANCEM.
"I know nothing of the alleged payments whatsoever and
certainly nothing about the alleged Bank accounts in
Switzerland or elsewhere," he said in a statement emailed to
GNA from London.
"I wish to state here and now quite categorically that I
have never ever made any admissions or any statements, to
any person, in whatever shape or form which can even be
remotely interpreted as an admission of receipts of any sums
of money as consultancy payments from SCANCEM whilst in
public office.
"Indeed I could not have made any admissions to matters
which simply did not happen."
An official of the Company who is in court in Norway for
embezzlement has said he paid bribes into two separate
accounts allegedly owned by Mr Obeng and former First Lady,
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings. Nana Konadu has also dismissed
the allegations.
Giving his side of the story he said he received and
completed a questionnaire for a Norwegian newspaper and then
received a phone call whilst in London from a journalist in
Ghana.
"In the very brief conversation the reporter sought to know
if I knew about a court case in Norway involving Mr. Tor
Kjelsaas and his former employers, Scancem.
"The very poor connection did not allow for any lengthy
conversation, which was in any case terminated when the line
got cut off. It appears my simple reply to his queries is
now what has been twisted or misinterpreted as my alleged
admission to the receipt of millions of dollars for
consultancy payments."
Mr. Obeng said his Company did some consulting work for the
Norwegian company SCANCEM after he left public office in
December 1996 and had been paid for its services.
He said he registered his consultancy company in the middle
of 1997 after leaving public office in December 1996, and
began a search for clients.
He said in 1998 his consultancy firm was retained by four
companies; two from Norway one from the United Kingdom and
the other from the United States of America
"One of the Norwegian companies was SCANCEM with whom my
company entered into a retainer agreement which began in mid
1998 and expired in December, 2006.
"The monthly retainer fees paid by the company was
exceedingly low even by local standards but we continued to
work for them with the view of building the necessary
foundation for the company and to build a good corporate
profile."
Mr Obeng said he did not work as a consultant for SCANCEM
and SCANCEM never engaged him to work for them in any manner
while in public office.
"Indeed I can emphatically say that during my long stay in
pubic office I did not accept to serve on boards of
companies, whether public or private, foreign or local
because I am acutely aware of the conflict of interest
situations I might be placed in. It obviously will defy
logic to place myself in such a position in relation to
SCANCEM".
He said he had referred the matter to his solicitors "with
firm instructions to take immediate, necessary and
prudential steps to redeem the damage done to my image and
reputation and certainly to assert the true state of affairs
and specifically to circulate this matter to the Ghanaian
Press".
GNA
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