Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, has expressed dissatisfaction with an Iranian Scientist Mehran Tavakoli Keshe relationship with the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission.
According to the Minister, upon scrutinising the portfolio of the Iranian Scientist, he discovered that some of his activities, predictions and medicinal product purported to cure certain diseases were not genuine.
“After my appointment I decided to review the operations of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission and I came across this Iranian Scientist called Mehran Tavakoli Keshe and was not convinced with his activities…… so I told my colleagues to look into his activities to help me have satisfaction,” he said.
The Minister added that after scrutinizing the Iranian’s portfolio and Curriculum Vitae as well as some key members of his Foundation, he came to the realisation that, he was not genuine.
He noted that the Iranian Scientist claimed he studied Nuclear Physics at Queen Mary College, University of London, however when we checked with the University, we discovered that the University did not even offer Atomic Physics.
In addition, the Scientist was reported to be preparing to set up an Energy Space Centre at the Atomic Energy and that by next year, Ghana would go to the Space, which the President had no idea of.
The Sector Minister made these known at the swearing-in ceremony of the Governing Board of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission in Accra on Thursday.
The Minister indicated that the same Iranian Scientist made certain predictions in the United States two years ago claiming the continent was going to split into two and that there was an imminent earthquake….and all those predictions didn’t happen.
“He also brought certain things to Belgium that was artificial and people paid money for it….and also devised certain equipment which he brought samples to the Director-General of the Atomic Commission claiming it would reduce power consumption in people’s homes…...and I don’t know if this is true,” he said.
The Minister cited a liquid the Iranian had manufactured known as ‘plasma water’ which was examined by the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and it came to light that it was pure water.
The Iranian Scientist alleged the liquid which he had bottled and sold at US$10 dollars each could cure diabetes and hypertension and supported his claim with a video from Youtube as a strategy to market the product.
“The President is concerned and I think we must review our relationship with this foreigner who in the first place should not have been allowed to set up a camp at the Atomic Energy.
“We don’t want further embarrassment…. if we want to go to space we have our own space programme……his theories as far as am concerned have no scientific basis,’’ he explained.
The Minister charged the Commission to review its operations, especially regarding agreements and Memorandum of Understanding signed with companies and foreign contracts.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said all contracts signed with foreign agencies should be reviewed by the Attorney-General to avoid mistakes.
The Minister had earlier administered the Official Oath and Oath of Secrecy to the Board members and charged them to come out with strategic policy direction that would move the Commission from its current predicaments.
The seven-member Board comprised, Dr. Kweku Aning, Chairman, Professor Benjamin Jabez Botwe Nyarko, Director-General of the Commission, member, Professor Alexander Kwadwo Nyarko, from the University of Ghana, member, and Madam Isabel Louisa Boaten, a legal practitioner, member.
The rest are Mr. Joseph Sowa Okpoti, Former Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Volta River Authority, member, Dr. Robert Adjaye, Energy Provider Consultant, member, and Mrs Levina Owusu, Government nominee, member.
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