Former Deputy National Security Coordinator Dagbunwura Alhaji Salifu Mimina Osman has praised the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Damongo Constituency and Minister for Lands and Natural Resources for facilitating in his release from prison.
Chief Osman thanked the Damongo MP, Abu Jinapor, for all that he has done for him in ensuring that he got presidential pardon months back.
Chief Alhaji Osman, was speaking at the palace of the Paramount Chief of the Buipe Traditional Area Buipewura Abdulai Abdulai Jinapor (II) (father of the Damongo MP), when he paid a visit to the chief to help him extend his thanks to his son.
Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, a former minister for agriculture who spoke on behalf of Chief Alhaji Osman Mimina at the forecourt of the Palace of the Buipewura said the visit to the Palace is at the blind side of the Damongo MP.
He added that there was an issue that came up in the National Communication Authority, NCA which saw Alhaji Osman imprisoned for about 5 years which they needed to get Presidential pardon for him.
He said they would have been grateful even if, he was released, with an hour left for him to complete his sentence adding that when the issue was raised about helping Alhaji Osman out, he was the one Alhaj Osman called on to intervene.
Alhaji Muniru added that; ”When the issue arosed, Hon Jinapor did not sleep over it and has been the one on it until chief Alhaji Osman was released for us and that is the appreciation we came to give to Buipewura”.
Alhaji Limuna indicated that seeing them in the palace is to bring Hon Samuel Abu Jinapor’s greetings and appreciation to his father Buipewura to extend to him for the favour he has done Dabonwura.
President Nana Akufo-Addo in consultation with the Council of State granted a presidential pardon to the former Deputy National Security Coordinator under the presidency of John Mahama, Chief Alhaji Salifu Mimina Osman following a petition he received from the Chief of the Kpembe Traditional Area requesting that Alhaji Osman be freed from prison custody on the grounds of good behavior and ill-health.
In a letter dated August 1, 2023, and signed by the Secretary to President Nana Bediatuo Asante, the President charged the Minister of the Interior to take the necessary steps to give effect to the presidential pardon immediately.
Chief Alhaji Salifu Mimina Osman, a son of the Kpembe Traditional Area, was sentenced to a five-year jail term in 2020 for willfully causing financial loss to the state in what has become known as the National Communications Authority (NCA) scandal.
On May 11, 2020, three former board members of the National Communications Authority (NCA) were sentenced to a total of 16 years’ imprisonment with hard labour by an Accra High Court for misapplying funds in the purchase of controversial surveillance equipment for the National Security Council Secretariat.
Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie, a former Board Chairman; William Mathew Tetteh-Tevie, a former Director General; and Alhaji Salifu Osman Mimina, a former Deputy National Security Coordinator on the NCA Board were found guilty of 14 different charges, including causing financial loss to the state and contravention of the Public Procurement Act, by the court presided over by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, a Court of Appeal judge sitting as a High Court judge.
The court also ordered the seizure of the properties of the convicts to defray the three million dollars financial loss caused to the state.
