Flag bearer hopeful of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Hon. Kofi Osei-Ameyaw has told The Chronicle that the New Patriotic Party cannot deny that it owes him an amount of GH�200,000.
He said since the party has not come out to deny that it owes him, it was important to keep the details to his chest, but argued that it was vital to inform the public about the exact amount of money he loaned to the elephant family, to dispel any mischief being perpetrated by his detractors.
According to the Asuogyaman legislator, the GH�200,000 was loaned to the party to partly finance the Tamale Congress, which saw the election of new national executives, which Mr. Paul Afoko emerged as Chairman. He said the amount was given at the time when the part was in dire need of money and most members, especially his detractors who have now found their voices, were keeping their monies to their chest.
Hon. Osei-Ameyaw made this observation in a reaction to media reports that sought to suggest that he was chasing GH�150,000 that he doled out to the party, prior to the Tamale Conference. When asked to further substantiate his claim with documentary proof, he said �that is not necessary, since the party has not denied owing me some money.�
The loan sum, he argued, was ratified by the party�s National Council at their last meeting that settled on Tamale as the venue for the national delegates� congress. �At the said meeting, it was even the MP for Sekondi, Papa Owusu Ankomah, who told members that I was going to loan the party an amount of GH�200,000. Following the ratification, the party then made me a member of the fund raising committee.
Chairman Wontumi gave a grant of GH�100,000 while the party�s Parliamentary Caucus, which I am part of, also gave a grant of GH�200,000 in addition to other donations from some members�, he said. The successful businessman cum lawyer, commenting further, said �when it comes to the payment of the filing fee, mine is authentic and does not put any stress on the party in going to the bank to join long queues to cash cheque, which some aspirants presented.�
When asked why he paid the GH�10,000 upfront for the nomination form, he said it was his special assistant who picked the form when he was on a business trip outside the country. �My Special Assistant picked the nomination form on my behalf, whilst I was on a business trip outside the country. He needed to raise the money and the letter authorizing the party to deduct such amount from the money I loaned them had not been finalized by then�, the quite looking Asuogyaman legislator argued in a perky voice.
Meanwhile, a copy of the confidential letter written by Hon. Osei-Ameyaw and addressed to the party chairman authorizing him to deduct his filing and nomination fees from the money loaned to the party has been chanced upon by The Chronicle. The document dated June 12, 2014 and received by one Mavis, on behalf of the party on July 2, 2014, titled �Re- Recovery of loan to the party�, in part read;
�I refer the above matter and confirm that prior to the National Delegates Conference in Tamale, the National Council ratified a proposal that I loaned the party GH�200,000 towards the preparatory works for the conference. I accordingly provided the loan. �The national elections are over and we have our national officers in place, preparing for the conduct of the presidential primaries. I request that part of the loaned monies be used to offset my nomination fees which may be due to the party.
�I understand that amount of monies to be paid is GH�85,000. Please deduct this amount from my outstanding monies with the party. �Furthermore, I would also request that part of the monies be paid to me in cash so that I can invest that in the party base structure urgently�.
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