$133,000 property in Dubai is no big deal – Moses Asaga reacts to reports

Moses Asaga, former Member of Parliament for Nabdam in the Upper East Region, has dismissed allegations of wrongdoing in acquiring a property in Dubai.

A report by the UK-based think tank, the Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), implicated several former appointees of the Mahama government, including Asaga and Iusah Fuseini, suggesting they acquired real estate in Dubai worth millions of dollars during their tenure.

The OCCRP report, titled How Dirty Money Finds a Home in Dubai Real Estate, published on May 14, 2024, highlighted Dubai's reputation for financial secrecy and its appeal to funds from questionable sources.

Asaga responding to the report in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM said the claims were a political machination.

He asserted that he legally acquired a property worth $133,000, citing his extensive career at Ecobank, GNPC, and his roles as Deputy Minister of Finance and Minister for Employment.

To challenge the narrative of wrongdoing, Asaga compared property prices in Ghana, noting that new apartments are sold for over $200,000 and luxury residences in Trassaco can range from $1 million to $5 million.

He said I thought I had done something criminal and corrupt worth investigating. $133, 000, shouldn’t I be able to own such an investment? What are the prices of Trasaco properties $1m- $3m who are staying there? Is it not politicians and majority NPP functionaries? Has the OCCRP gone to put a story on them? This is a political machination.

So, they think for my 30-year working life I should not have an investment of that paltry amount. Before politics, I worked with Ecobank, and GNPC and was Deputy Minister of Finance, Minister for Employment, and CEO of NPA. I could not afford an investment of $133,000 for a student one-bedroom apartment. What is the crime and corruption involved in this?.

Asaga added that currently in Ghana, new apartments are being sold for $200,000 plus, and Trasaco is $1m–$5m.

He further indicated that it is bankers, CEOs of GNPC, COCOBOD, BOST, and politicians who live in those luxurious houses.

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