Ghana’s government abandons criticism of state telecom sale

Authorities have distanced themselves from a government-sanctioned report that state-owned Ghana Telecom was sold to Britain’s Vodafone for much less than it was worth. The report said the sale was unconstitutional and illegal. But now the country’s communications minister says the committee that filed the report has overstepped its remit, and the Supreme Court should rule on the legality of the sale. In a twist of irony, the government is said to be pre-empting criticism from the opposition, which oversaw the sale while in power. Ministers are now trying to reassure jittery foreign investors that the transaction will respect domestic and international law.