Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide  newspaper, Kweku Baako, has faulted the Judgment Debt Commission for "deliberately" acting to divert attention from the "real issues" leading to the sale of a drill ship belonging to the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).

He expressed shock that none of the members on the Commission asked the former GNPC Boss whether indeed the Corporation was indebted to French bank Societe Generale, to the tune of $40 million.

Some critics, mainly members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), are of the view that the Commission was lenient with Mr. Tsikata, when he appeared before it on Tuesday, November 26, to give testimony over the sale of the Discover 511 drill ship in 2001. The ship was sold for $24 million out of which $19.5 million was used to defray a debt owed Societe General. The remaining $3.5 million could not be traced.

Mr. Tsikata vehemently denied allegations that the drill ship was used as a collateral to secure a funding transaction with Societe Generale and further questioned the valuation of the ship, which was subsequently sold for $24 million dollars to defray the negotiated debt.

Speaking however, on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM Wednesday, Mr. Baako said the Commission did not probe the witness enough to help the public know the real issue, despite the volume of information it had on the subject matter.

"Nobody asked Mr. Tsikata whether indeed GNPC owed SG...on the part of the Commission that I find very intriguing".

"That loud silence, that loud omission," he exclaimed.

"There are correspondents before the Commission that GNPC's indebtedness to SG was $40million.

"...and I was surprised...that the Commission with that level of capacity would let that slip and I consider that a singular omission on the part of the Commission".