Seize Assets of State Thieves - MFWA Tells Govt

By Maxwell Ofori

The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, has called on the government to deal mercilessly with those who have looted state coffers and also confiscate their assets.

According to him, the time has come for state officials to end the 'thievery' and concentrate on building mother Ghana.

In a Facebook post, Mr. Braimah expressed shock that state officials could embezzle huge sums of money that could be used to build hospitals and schools for the ordinary taxpayer.

His comment was in reference to the latest exposé at the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and National Communications Authority (NCA), where some $1.2m from GSA and $4m from NCA were allegedly looted by officials from the respective state institutions.

"$1.2m from GSA, $4m from NCA. How many hospitals and schools could have been built from these?" he quizzed

"State looters must be mercilessly dealt with and their properties from the loot confiscated. Enough is enough. Time to end the thievery; Time to build our country."

An investigation ordered by the then Minister of Trade and Industry, Ekwow Spion Garbrah and the subsequent report issued by the committee mentioned Dr George Crentsil, former Executive Director of the GSA for collecting $1.2 million kickback from a contractor undertaking construction work for the Authority.

The report, which was intercepted by Joy News said Dr Crentsil took the said money in two portions.

The first tranche was $1 million and the second was $200,000 - monies he collected as kickback from Lemet Construction, the company which won the contract to build a new block for the GSA Training School at a cost of GHC15 million.

Ekow Spio-Garbrah's directive to probe the matter followed an anonymous letter from a whistleblower from the Authority over the kickback.

The whistleblower's letter came at a time when the project had completely stalled, with no explanation from the contractor.

The Board instituted an investigation into the matter and found that colossal amounts had been paid as kickback.

Quoting portions of the committee's report, Kwetey Nartey said the Contractor, Johnson Teye, admitted to paying some $1.2 million to the Executive Director.

Meanwhile, when Dr George Crentsil was interrogated on the accusation, the committee's report said: "the Executive Director admitted taking money from the contractor but refused to state how much, stating it was a sensitive matter."

The National Communications Authority on the other hand has been hit with a similar scandal. Joy FM broke the news about how some officials allegedly withdrew $4 million from the accounts of the NCA and have failed to account for it.

The officials linked to the issue are; Mr William Tevie, former Director General, Mr. Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie, former Board Chairman; one Alhaji Osman, former Deputy National Security Coordinator,

They had contracted an Israeli company, NSO Group Technology Limited, to supply listening equipment at the cost of $6 million, to enable National Security monitor conversations of persons suspected to be engaged in terror activities.

A local agent, Infraloks Development Limited, was also charging $2 million to facilitate the transaction, bringing the total sum to $8 million.

But only $1 million was paid into the accounts of the Israeli company while the remaining $3 million was lodged into the accounts of one George Oppong, representing the local agents, Infraloks Development Limited. That money was allegedly shared among the officials.

All the persons involved except Alhaji Osman [whose whereabouts are unknown] and Mr Tevie, have admitted to taking the money and have been granted bail after the BNI took their statements. Some of them have started refunding the money to the state.

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