LEADERSHIP of the Concerned Voters Movement (CVM) have pointed out some positive feedbacks from the National Lottery Authority (NLA) following the backlashes they unleashed on the current management of the NLA.
The CVM attacked the NLA following strong allegations levelled against the acting Director-General of NLA, Mr Kofi Osei Ameyaw, by a group regarding issues of legalising “banker-to-banker” operations and his alleged payment of GH¢15,000,000 to Merlin Gaming Limited as judgment debt as well as the payment of monies into the Consolidated Fund.
Speaking in an interview with Today in Accra yesterday Founder and President of CVM, Mr. Razak Kojo Opoku, lauded the NLA for paying GH¢19 million into the Consolidated Fund.
According to him, the ministry of finance confirmed that they received payment for the money on September 29, 2017.
“I verified it myself on Monday myself at the ministry of finance.
…We need to commend the NLA and also laud CVM for doing what is right,” he stated.
Mr. Opoku indicated that the NLA has assured that the supposed GH¢15,000,000 judgement debts would not be paid to MERLIN Gaming Limited as mentioned earlier.
“The NLA has assured us fully that they will do anything possible to make sure that they don’t commit NLA funds to the Merlin Gaming Ghana Limited. This reason finally made us “smoke the peace pipe” with them,” he added.
He, however, warned all police officers and NLA regional managers who take bribes from “banker-to-banker operators to refrain from arresting or taking bribes from them, adding that the police can cause their arrest based on the approval from the board or the director general of NLA.
Some of these police officers and regional managers are extorting monies from these banker-to-banker operators. They are taking advantage of the vulnerability and inability of the NLA to enforce the 2006 National Lottery Act 722. They need to show permission letters from the director-general before enforcing such exercise.”
It will be recalled that CVM recently appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to investigate activities of Mr. Osei Ameyaw.
According to the movement, the NLA boss “lacks consistency,” because barely six months into office, he had allegedly presented a request to the newly constituted board to approve the payment of GH¢15,000,000 to Merlin Gaming Limited as judgment debt when the company had no contract with the NLA.
The group alleged that the DG “presented the said settlement for approval and payment at the very first official business meeting of the newly constituted board, which was held on or around July 28, 2017.
Story: Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu
