Ameri’s hospitality didn’t influence us – Philip Addison
The leader of the committee tasked by government to look into the Ameri deal, Philip Addison, has rejected claims that Ameri’s hospitality extended them influenced their work.
The committee had sent a delegation to Dubai on the invite of Ameri, which the New Patriotic Party government has accused of bloating a power agreement contract by about $150 million.
But the Minority in Parliament rebuked the committee for accepting Ameri’s offer to travel to Dubai, claiming it could have influenced the final report.
They also accused Mr. Addison’s committee of traveling first class ticket, and lodging at a plush hotel in Dubai at the expense of Ameri.
“The delegation that went to Dubai was a government delegation of three. We were supposed to be four, but the Chief Executive of VRA who was supposed to be part of it couldn’t attend because of pressing issues. The payment of these tickets had nothing to do with us. I didn’t go and negotiate for ticket payments. The way it’s being said it’s like I went to Ameri and requested for money to buy tickets. I was sitting in my office and I got the ticket and I got the visa on my phone. So I didn’t go and procure this thing,” he explained.
Mr. Addison, who is also a private legal practitioner, further disclosed that, they went to Dubai to negotiate with Ameri for better terms and not to investigate them there.
“I keep reading and hearing that they were supposed to investigate Ameri, no, we were not going to investigate Ameri. We were going to have negotiation not investigation. And there was no antagonistic relationship. So they freely offered to pick up the bill. So I don’t understand when so much noise is being made about this,” he said.
