The Cabinet Committee responsible for the coordination of forensic audits at the Office of the Senior Minister has released a report in a document sighted by Daily Accra, dated August 31, 2018, which implicates six institutions in various forms of financial malfeasance. They are: Ghana National Gas Company, Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB), Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Limited (BOST), Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and Ghana Technology University College (GTUC).
Report Findings
The report reveals procurement irregularities and misappropriation of funds carried out in the aforementioned public institutions.
The Ghana National Gas Company according to the findings made irregular procurements involving purchases made from China Aero Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) to the tune of $61 million and procurement irregularities in a contract involving Memphis Metropolitan Limited and Kingspok Company Limited to the tune of US$76 million.
The report also says GTUC was involved in procurement irregularities involving over USD$ 120 million with high ranking officers of the university having misappropriated funds of over US$ 224 million. A company incorporated by a former President of GTUC, Learning Nuggets Company Ltd and its directors, in the report are also to account for monies in excess of US$ 80 million.
Amounts misappropriated and which need to be accounted for by the Former CEO of MASLOC amounts to about GH₵ 3.2 million. The Former Executive Secretary of the Ghana Free Zones Board is also to account over US$2 million, whereas, Former MD of BOST is to account for monies over US$ 35 million, along with funds amounting to over GH₵ 123 million alleged to have been transferred to Chief of Staff.
BOST again from the report was involved in procurement irregularities, misappropriation of monies by GKA Consultancy Services which is owned by the former GM of the company and excess cash and management transfer fees to a bank all amounting to over GH₵ 105 million. Additionally, an amount of over US$ 4 million and over US$9,500 are to be accounted for by Former Board Chairman and Project Manager of BOST respectively.
It was made known in the report that Ghana Standards Authority was involved in a kickback payment of about US$ 1.2 million with amounts of over GH₵ 12 million to be accounted for by GSA’s former Board Chairman, former Executive Director and Head of the Procurement Unit.
Implicated Officers
The audit report implicates a number of officials including members of institutional boards, companies, members of staff, former executive directors, a General Manager (GM), a bank, an energy firm amongst others. The names of those in the report from the Ghana National Gas Company are Dr Kwesi Botchway (Chairman), Mr Eric Yankah, Mr Thomas Manu, Dr Valerie Sawyerr and Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey who are all board members.
For GTUC, the names of those mentioned in the report to have been involved in irregularities include; Prof. Osei Darkwa, former President of GTUC, Dr Baffour Woman, former Vice President of GTUC. The former CEO of MASLOC, Mrs. Sedina Tamakloe and former Executive Secretary of GFZB, Mr Kwadwo Twum Boafo were also implicated.
Those names connected with the alleged financial scandals in BOST include, Mr Kingsley Kwame Awuah-Darko, former MD, Mr George Aborah, former GM, Mr Ato Wilson, Project Manager and Mr Kakra Essamuah, former Board Chairman.
The names of Dr. George Ben-Crentsil, former Executive Director at GSA and Mr Delali Sabblah, Head of Procurement in the same institution also surfaced in the report.
The Forensic Audits
According to the report, a total of eighteen (18) forensic audits were awarded to private audit firms by the Committee, but due to logistical challenges, sixteen (16) have so far been completed and submitted to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO). The auditors include: Morrison and Associates, Baffour Awuah and Associates, Worldwide Investments Company Limited, Deloitte & Touche and SWQ Consults.
UNDP Support to Committee
The report also showed that the Cabinet Committee responsible for the coordination of forensic audits based at the Office of the Senior Minister at the Presidency received financial and technical support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for a year, which ended in April 2018.
Following from this, the Senior Minister together with the Secretary of the Committee met with the Country Director, Deputy Country Director and Lead Specialist of the Democratic Governance Cluster Programme at the UN agency to make requests for additional support for the work of the committee to be able to be completed.
The report disclosed that a letter dated May 23, 2018 from the UNDP Country Director confirmed the agency’s decision to provide continuous support to the Committee till the end of the year, i.e. December 31, 2018.