Abuga Pele, a former MP for the Chiana-Paga seat of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), claimed that his imprisonment served as an evidence that the previous administration was combating corruption.
The former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the now-defunct Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) claimed that his conviction was a “cross” he had to carry over from a case in which he was accused of causing financial loss to the state from which he did not personally profit.
In February 2018, the Accra High Court sentenced Abuga Pele and Philip Assibit, a private service provider, to 18 years in prison after finding them guilty on 19 counts, including defrauding the state of money.
However, due to his poor health, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo pardoned him in July 2021.
The former NDC MP implied that his prison term was unfair in an interview with Bolgatanga-based A1 Radio that countryghana.com was listening to. He described how the prosecution was tainted with plots and coercive measures intended to imprison him at all costs.
“Even at one point, can you believe that prosecution forged a letter and when they gave it to me I realized that wasn’t my signature and I told them that this is not my signature. If you look at the signature column of the thing [letter] it numbered 5, meanwhile, that document was more than 12 pages. Meanwhile, there was another 5 below. So the judge asked for it and I gave it to her then she looked at it and kept it down. Can you believe that it did not even appear in our proceedings,” he narrated.
Mr. Pele went on to say that while the case was pending in court, some individuals he believes to be his accusers were successful in persuading the President that he ought to be put in jail.
“One reason was to stop the constant accusations of corruption against the former NDC government, especially against GYEEDA. That’s how I felt, and two, I think I stepped on a lot of people’s toes running the organization [GYEEDA] by being extremely obstinate and refusing to let certain things be done, looking into people, and all that, so that might also be a factor,” he continued.
Mr. Pele said that he has accepted his fate and ignores the unpleasant experiences he has gone through while claiming that his situation has not ended his bond with his party, the NDC.