Prez never prevented Engineers & Planners from paying debt

The Office of the President has denied that the President intervened to prevent the payment of a debt owed Merchant Bank Ghana by Messrs Engineers and Planners.

“We wish to draw the attention of Joy FM and Myjoyonline that it is not unusual for the Presidency to receive petitions from private companies or individuals who feel unfairly treated by one government agency or another.

“In such cases, as was rightly done by the then Secretary to the President, Mr J. K. Bebaako-Mensah, the petition by Engineers and Planners was forwarded to Merchant Bank to furnish the Presidency with information on the issues raised in the petition,” a statement from the Office of the President said.

It said President John Mahama had never, during his days as Vice-President and now as President, intervened or directed Merchant Bank not to recover its debts or vary the terms of debts owed it by Engineers and Planners or any other organisation or individuals indebted to the bank.

“Indeed, the government believes that Merchant Bank and all other banks in which the state has an interest must adopt every legitimate means, including legal action, to recover debts owed them by companies and other individuals,” it said.