President John Mahama has denied being paid US$300 million from the US government in relation to the transfer of the two Guantanamo Bay ex-detainees into Ghana.
The two, Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby were relocated to Ghana recently after a deal between the e government of Ghana.
Answering questions at a press conference at the Flagstaff House on Tuesday January 12, 2016, President Mahama told journalists that;
“There’s no monetary consideration and the US itself would have disclosed if there were any monetary consideration.”
According to President Mahama, claims on social media that he got US$300 million from the transfer deal are “absolutely untrue.”
“It was a direct request from the US to my government. We have been allies to the US for a year, it didn’t start today…”
Giving scanty reasons as to why He (President Mahama) and his administration accepted the option to host the two former terrorists who according to the minister of Foreign Affairs were mere “foot soldiers” of Al-Qaeda, President Mahama noted that a risk assessment done by the US itself showed that the two were considered to be the “most compliant detainees” in Guantanamo Bay and were also “low-risk” detainees who were never tried, never charged, and never convicted.
President Mahama said;
“What we should fear is not them,” but unknown people who can come and create trouble, “so we should calm the hysteria and phobia” since as a President, “I won’t take any decision that will jeopardize the security of this country…we don’t have anything to fear from them,”
Source- NewsGhana.com.gh
