K.T. Hammond clamours for AMERI deal cancellation

Adansi Asokwa MP K.T. Hammond insists the Mahama administration made “misrepresentations” to Parliament regarding the $510million Africa and Middle East Resources Investment Group’s (AMERI), power deal and thus wants it cancelled even though he seconded its passage to rent the 300MW emergency power plant at the height of the power crisis in 2015 in his capacity as the ranking member of the Energy Committee of Parliament.

Mr Hammond is now making a U-turn saying the deal is flawed.

“The law allows for procurement to be made and sole-sourced. The government went through that procedure and brought the agreement to Parliament. We agreed on the $510 million, and expected that they would go out there and achieve results the way it had been presented to us. It’s the process that has brought me here. They made so many misrepresentations,” he said.

He presented the following evidence to back his call for the rescission of the deal.

(1) AMERI did not provide fast-track equipment contrary to the agreement. They assigned their interest to a subsidiary known as AMERI Equipment which was registered 13 days after the agreement had been signed with Ghana.

(2) AMERI Equipment (the subsidiary) did not undertake the construction but assigned this to a Turkish Company called PPR without the consent of the government of Ghana as required.

(3) A Turkish company, PPR, bore all financial risk, raised all capital and was paid with money government of Ghana paid AMERI.