Audio By Carbonatix
Former country manager of oil exploration firm Kosmos Energy, George Owusu, has denied ever being harassed or stripped naked by security operatives.
The Minority in Parliament called a news conference on Thursday to criticize government for allegedly harassing people, including Mr. Owusu, involved in oil exploration in the country.
The Minority said the former Kosmos Energy boss was stripped naked in the full glare of his family by agents of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at his residence.
But in an interview with Joy News on Friday, Mr Owusu confirmed his home was searched by the CID in July this year but ruled out claims that the incident amounted to harassment.
“I was not stripped naked. I was not strip-searched in front of my family,” he said.
“My comment on this is that these guys are professionals; they were just doing their job and I don’t have any issues with the policemen. The way they conducted their business, I think it was in a civilized manner.”
Mr Owusu recounted the incident in which he said a 15-member platoon of security operatives picked up several documents in his custody, including those on his computer – both at his residence and office.
According to him, the CID “…searched my house, took some documents away; searched my office, took some documents away; took the hard drive of my computer away. That’s what happened at that time. And later on I was told that all my bank records were taken away.”
He said the CID has failed to return the documents although he has made countless appeals to them to do so.
Mr Owusu in his interview with Joy News’ Evans Mensah repeatedly denied allegations that he has a five per cent stake in Kosmos Energy.
“I have a zero stake in Kosmos. I don’t have a stake in Kosmos,” he stressed.
He would also not comment on the link, if any, between his exit from Kosmos and the CID investigations, stressing: “Sir, I don’t want to comment on that.”
Government responds
Meanwhile, government has denied the Minority's accusation that it is harassing officials of Kosmos Energy.
Addressing a press conference in Accra on Friday, Deputy Energy Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor has described the accusations as baseless.
Story by Fiifi Koomson/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana
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