Mahama and the NDC’s Dubai Property Controversy
From the recent past, former President of the republic of Ghana John Mahama has being dragged into an scandal regarding properties associated with NDC in Dubai. The problem is in speculations that monies earmarked for the development of Ghana were channeled towards the purchase of the said properties, which creates the perception of embezzlement during Mahama’s administration.
It was an issue that elicited a lot of discussion, opponents claiming that Mahama should worry over these supposed embezzlements that he is shifting the blame onto. The allegations imply that monies that would otherwise have been needed for the development of Ghana’s infrastructure were invested in Dubai related business.
Such financial endeavors are watched with excitement as the laws of UAE are very strict especially to non residents when it comes to property ownership / investment and financial accountability. It has been home to luxurious real estate investments,; many a times originating from foreign Investors sometimes surrounded by controversy. This case brings up issues of openness and responsibility concerning the direct investor and the country of origin.
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This controversy has also spread out to the general politics in Ghana and especially the ruling party the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has embraced this controversy as part of their agenda in governance and financial operation. While the NPP has listed developmental achievements especially in the realm of digitalization and infrastructure, the party has alleged shady financial dealings of the NDC.
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That is why for the UAE it is important to make sure that its property market is clean and free from the proceeds of corruption. The Dubai Land Department (DLD) has kept on enforcing measures that are used to curb money laundering and increase the compliance of the property markets to the international standards.