Charles Adu Boahen, the minister of state for finance in Ghana, has been fired, according to the presidency, after allegations of improper behavior were made public by a renowned investigative journalist in that country.
According to a statement from the presidency, Adu Boahen was fired after the president learned of the accusations made against him in an expose. Akufo-Addo also forwarded the case to the Special Prosecutor for additional investigation.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is also facing calls for dismissal from members of parliament who accuse him of corruption and economic mismanagement as the country faces its worst economic crisis in a generation.
What happened
The accusations made against Ofori-Atta did not seem to be connected to those made against Adu Boahen.
In Ghana, the second-largest gold producer in Africa, artisanal mining is common and makes up about one-third of the nation’s output. Boahen was accused of accepting kickbacks from artisanal mine investors in a recent exposé by disgraced journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia said in a statement the video showed Adu Boahen “apparently using my name, inter alia, to peddle influence and collect money from supposed investors”.
“I would like to state that if what the minister (Adu Boahen) is alleged to have said is accurately captured in the video, then his position as a minister of state is untenable. He should be dismissed summarily and investigated,” Bawumia said.
As Ghana experiences its worst economic crisis in a generation, Ken Ofori-Atta, the country’s finance minister, is also under fire from members of parliament who accuse him of corruption and economic mismanagement.
On November 6, hundreds of protesters marched through Accra, the nation’s capital, demanding that President Nana Akufo-Addo step down amid an economic crisis that has driven up the price of food and fuel to all-time highs.
