Anti-corruption campaigner Edem Senanu has cautioned the Minority in Parliament against the politicisation of the bidding process surrounding the Damang Mine, warning that premature allegations risk undermining public confidence in state institutions.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story on Thursday, March 26, Mr Senanu described attempts to link the potential award of the mine to businessman Ibrahim Mahama, who is also the president’s brother, as speculative and unsupported by evidence.
Mr Senanu also warned that mischaracterising such issues for political gain could have long-term consequences, making it difficult to distinguish genuine misconduct from unfounded allegations in the future.
“I think that we are stretching it. And it will come to hunt them [Minority]. This is what always happens to them. They come and say a lot of political talk, and then when they’re in government, they cannot find a way through it because obviously, they didn’t apply the concepts well; they didn’t interpret it well. Let’s not begin to create a situation where, in the future, we are not able to discern what is really going wrong from what is not. I don’t think that this is the way to go,” he stressed.
His comment comes after the Minority raised concerns over what it describes as a potential conflict of interest involving President John Mahama and his brother, Ibrahim Mahama, particularly in relation to the latter’s reported interest in acquiring the Damang Mine.
The anti-corruption campaigner argued that critics have failed to demonstrate any specific breach in the process, yet continue to suggest that procurement officials and tender committees may be compromised.
According to him, such claims are not only unfounded but also erode trust in established systems designed to ensure transparency and fairness.
“There’s absolutely no connection whatsoever. You cannot jump from unproven concerns to concluding that a procurement process will be influenced,” he stated.
Mr Senanu stressed that until the procurement process is concluded and credible evidence of wrongdoing emerges, it is inappropriate to question the integrity of those involved.
He maintained that Ghana’s legal framework allows all qualified individuals—including relatives of political officeholders—to participate in such processes.
“Unless and until there is clear evidence that something untoward has happened, we should not suggest that the President’s family—or any politician’s family—does not have the right under the law to be part of such processes,” he said.
He further clarified that a conflict of interest only arises where there is direct involvement or influence from a public officeholder, noting that no such evidence has been presented in the current case.
“This is not a conflict-of-interest situation unless the President is directly involved or the process is being influenced. Otherwise, we are stretching it,” he emphasised.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com