The Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice is proposing further investigation and prosecution of Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral who superintended the award of $312, 394,049.53 to Ribade Company Ltd.
CHRAJ indicated that the award of the contract to Ribade was in contravention to Public Procurement Act 663, making it illegal.
The Commission therefore recommended further investigation and possible “prosecution of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral who superintended over the award of the contract to Ribade Company in disregard to Act 663 as amended. These breaches of the procurement laws have the potential of courting international embarrassment to the country considering its international status and that of Ribade Company Ltd.”
Their recommendation was borne out of a petition by MP for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to investigate the National Cathedral of Ghana.
His reliefs included;
– Investigation of the appointment of contractors for the National Cathedral Project which Petitioner believes were done without adherence to the Public Procurement Procedures and laws.
– Investigation into payment of the sum of Two Million, Six Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC 2,600,000) and any other payments made to JNS Talent Centre Limited from state resources;
– Investigate the conflict-of-interest complaint against Rev. Victor Kusi- Boateng in his dual capacity under separate identities as Director of both the National Cathedral and JNS Talent Centre Limited and related matters
– Take the appropriate action or steps for the remedying, restraining, correcting or reversal of offending conduct or actions.
After a year-long investigation, the Commission’s report signed by Director, Joseph Whittal has indicated that there were several inconsistencies. CHRAJ explained that the contract to Ribade Company Limited was awarded by the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral without recourse to the “concurrent approval by the Central Tender Review Committee, a key requirement of the Procurement Act having regards to the contract sum.”
CHRAJ also disclosed that more than 50 percent of the contract sum had been spent so far on the National Cathedral.
“Our investigations show that as at 31 May 2022, the amount of Two Hundred and Twenty-Five Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty-Two Thousand and Five Hundred Ghana Cedis (GHS225,962,500.00) described as seed money had been released for the construction of the National Cathedral per Exhibit 9.
“This sum of money has been expended according to Exhibit 9 on site preparation, contractors’ mobilization, US Fundraising, consultants and symposia. The stated sum of money is no small amount. Public interest dictates that there ought to be value for money in project execution,” it noted in the report.
The Commission stated that it was difficult to determine whether there has been value for money since the project remains in the same state.
In September, aggrieved Ghanaians and members of National Democratic Congress converged on the site of the Cathedral to bathe and swim in the structure which has hence been described as the most expensive hole in the world.
Continuous downpour of rains over the period left the structure akin to a swimming pool.
Public uproar regarding government’s stance on the construction of the National Cathedral resulted in the resignation of members of the Board of Trustees of the project.
Meanwhile, the petitioner, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has welcomed the report and described it as “damning”.
He however stated that “CHRAJ did a poor job in relation to the double identities of Rev Kusi Boateng.”
He spoke with Alfred Ocansey on 3FM’s Hot Edition on November 25.
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The post National Cathedral: CHRAJ recommends prosecution of Board of Trustees over $312m contract first appeared on 3News.
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