Tourism Minister Egyapa Mercer has denied his involvement in any dubious engagement with regards to the Power Distribution Services (PDS) scandal during his time as Deputy Energy Minister.The Director of Legal Affairs for NDC), Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, has accused Egyapa Mercer of being part of a group referred to as the "PDS gang" that allegedly worked together to cheat Ghana.

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According to him, Egyapa Mercer and his associates fraudulently stole from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) by incorporating the main company that was involved in the Power Distribution Services (PDS)."He and his friends conspired to steal our ECG for nothing. What about that? He was the one who incorporated the lead company that was involved in the PDS.

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He is the secretary of the company and they conspired to steal, to defraud this country. Where are they. What has happen to them. The PDS gang...He is one of them. He had the temerity to talk about Mahama," Edudzi Tamakloe expressly told the media. But according to Mr Mercer, he is not to blame for any illegal undertaking that may have happened, as such, he cannot be held accountable.

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In an interview on Metro TV, he said, "I committed no ill or wrong. Your footsoldiers you people sit on social media and give them hope that in the very unlikely event that when you come to power, people like Egyapa Mercer will be held to account. For what? Account for what? Nobody can do zilch to me."PDS was in July 2019 found to have presented invalid insurance security for the takeover of ECG assets.

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The company was initially supposed to furnish the ECG with payment securities in the form of either a demand guarantee or a letter of credit issued by a bank.The insurance guarantee came about because of difficulties experienced with raising a bank guarantee.PDS appealed to use a demand guarantee issued by an A-rated insurance company.

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PDS thus submitted the Payment Securities in the form of demand guarantees issued by a Qatari insurance firm, Al Koot Insurance and Reinsurance, which eventually became the source fraud after it was discovered that there were fabricated letters and forged signatures.The government also noted that Al Koot did not have the capacity to engage in such a transaction based on its net worth.The company was also not authorised to issue demand

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guarantees.

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