A Deputy Director of Communication in the opposition New Patriotic Party is accusing the Attorney General and Minister of Justice Benjamin Kumbour of blackmailing Ghanaians over the Construction Pioneers judgement debt.

Buabeng Asamoah said the constant reminder to Ghanaians by the AG to pay judgement debts to CP or risk paying huge interests is not only unacceptable but amounts to blackmail.

The AG appeared before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on Wednesday to explain why it was necessary to pay CP a judgement debt of €94 million.

Speaking on Joy FM and MultiTV news analysis programme Newsfile, Saturday, Asamoah said the €94 million paid in judgement debt to CP raises a lot more question than answers.

Contrary to the AG’s position that government must be applauded for reducing the judgement debt from over €600 million to €94 million, the NPP deputy Communications Director said it was rather CP who made a proposal to the then New Patriotic Party in 2007 to be paid €95 million.

Quoting from a letter he claimed was written to the NPP government, Buabeng Asamoah said CP was ready to accept €95 million on condition that government stopped the fraud allegations against its top officials; that government waived tax liability and that no more interest will accrue on debt owed CP by government.

Asamoah said the NPP government refused to accept the proposal because it was not in the interest of the country but quite surprisingly the proposal has been embraced by the NDC, albeit, with a one million reduction from €95 million as proposed in 2007 to €94 million.

He explained CP owed Ghana in taxes of more than €145 million with its top officials being investigated for fraud against the government of Ghana.

Buabeng Asamoah challenged the AG to tell Ghanaians the status of fraud investigations against CP as well as the tax element owed Ghana by CP.

He said granted that Ghana owed CP €94 million; the construction company also owes Ghana in taxes of more than €145 million which means CP is indebted to government to the tune of some €55 million.

With cabinet informing the Public Accounts Committee of not ordering the payment of the CP judgment debt, Asamoah questioned how the money was paid and who paid it.

But another panel member on the show, Kojo Adu Asare said the posture of the NPP members on the PAC is reprehensible.

He said the NPP is clutching on the issue of judgement debt to nail the NDC government, a position he said cannot be justified.

He accused the Minority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu of prejudicing the case by appearing on a Joy FM show to discuss the CP issue at a time when the AG was yet to appear before Parliament.

Adu Asare said he is not all too surprised with the posture of the NPP because the committee is chaired by the NPP member.

He also accused the NPP members on the committee of leaking the Woyome information to Kennedy Agyapong who is not a member of the PAC.

Comparing the Woyome saga to that of the Ghana@50, Kojo Adu Asare wondered how the same people who championed what he said were acts of corruption will now turn around and accuse the NDC of being corrupt.

He said his biggest regrets were how the Ghana@50 issue was handled by government which regrettably has now given the same people turn around attack the NDC government as being corrupt.