IBRAHIM MAHAMA STORMS FLAGSTAFF HOUSE

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday January 30, 2018

Ibrahim Mahama, younger brother of former President John Dramani Mahama, reportedly stormed the Flagstaff House last Friday to have a meeting with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

It is unclear what Ibrahim’s mission was at the presidency, but many are speculating that the meeting might have something to do with the bauxite concession which was handed to his company, Exton Cubic Group Limited, at the tail end of his brother’s presidency in late 2016, which the current government has put on hold.

Ibrahim is also being investigated for a series of deals he allegedly struck under his brother’s presidency, which are said to be inimical to the interest of the state.

Sources claim that he spent close to two hours at the presidency.

Weah’s Inauguration

There are speculations that Mr Ibrahim Mahama, a powerful businessman who owns a chain of companies, including Engineers & Planners, possibly struck the deal to meet the president when the two met at the inauguration of African football legend, George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah, President of Liberia last week.

There were pictures of Ibrahim and former President Mahama sitting behind President Akufo-Addo during the inauguration; and in another picture, Ibrahim was seen shaking hands with the president.

Controversial Lease 

Exton Cubic Group Limited was controversially granted a long lease concession by the Mahama-led NDC administration on December 29, 2016 - when the NDC had lost the December 7 general elections miserably and was on its way out of office.

Later in the heat of the transition, Dr Gideon Boako, an economics advisor to Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, dropped a bombshell when he made the astonishing allegation to the effect that 58% of Ghana’s bauxite reserves had been handed to Mr. Ibrahim Mahama before his brother exited power in January, sparking public outrage.

The company moved heavy-duty machines into the forest, near Nyinahin in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region to start exploratory activities in one of the concessions, but was stopped by both the district and the regional authorities.

In the ensuing tussle over whether Ibrahim had the right to enter the Nyinahin Forest Reserve, Peter Abum Sarkodie, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), issued a statement, saying that the company had not obtained the required permit to enable it to mine bauxite in the area.

The government, through the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, revoked the company’s the concession, stating that Exton Cubic Group Limited could not meet all the legal requirements and therefore, the lease could not hold.

Act 703 

The minister had said the government was acting in accordance with Section 87 of Act 703 of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 to cancel the concession granted the former president’s younger brother.

Exton Cubic’s Fears 

Exton Cubic, however, expressed worry that the challenges faced by its exploration at the Nyinahin bauxite concession might have been a result of a witch hunt against it.

The company’s spokesperson, Sammy Gyamfi, an NDC communicator, said at a news conference at the time that the developments concerning the legality of operations in the Nyinahin bauxite concession gave it a reason to be concerned.

44 Dud Cheques

Not satisfied, Ibrahim finally sued the government; and the matter is still before court for determination.

Since his brother was voted out of office, Ibrahim has been having issues with investigative bodies like EOCO when the issue of 44 dud cheques he allegedly issued to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) popped up.

He had to settle the GH¢12.5 million debt he owed the state through the GRA after the infamous 44 dud cheques bounced.

EOCO was investigating how he managed to dodge the payment of taxes over a period, especially using two companies - MBG Limited and Holman Brothers.

SSNIT Pressure

In late April 2017, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) also dragged Ibrahim and other managers of E&P to court for the non-payment of their workers’ pension contributions.

A demand notice prepared by SSNIT to Ibrahim and the others on March 1, 2017 showed that the total contribution due E&P was GH¢1,601,051.78, with a penalty of GH¢1,322,161.45 and the notice had also put the total indebtedness to GH¢2,723,213.32 with GH¢200,000.00 as less payment.

Mr. Ibrahim Mahama later announced that the company settled in full the outstanding amount owed SSNIT.

He is also fingered in the collapse of some financial institutions, including UT and Merchant banks.

AG INDICTS EOCO OVER EC PROBE

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Monday January 29, 2018

The official report from the Attorney General’s Department in the matter of some top officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) accused of misappropriating GH¢480,177.87 of the staff Endowment Fund appears to indict the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

The report appears to indicate that the investigations, which started sometime in July last year, were shoddily done.

As a result, the AG could not prefer a charge against any of the suspects in the matter and instead called for further probe into the matter.

AG’s Opinion

The report clearly states in a 10-point opinion of the AG’s Department that “The investigations have failed to show what happened to staff contributions for the Endowment Fund for the period July to December 2013, to which contributions for March to October 2014 were applied.”

According to the report, the investigations did not address the amounts of GH¢480,177.87 and GH¢354,016.57, which were applied to the period July to December 2013.

It states, “EOCO’s investigations were restricted to the GH¢480,177.87 which was reportedly missing, although it is apparent from the docket that the matter goes beyond the investment for the period of March to October 2014,” adding, “The evidence shows that as at 1^st March 2014, the opening balance of the main account for the Commission stood at GH¢131,499.82 out of which GH¢110,950.00 was transferred from the main account into the operational account.”

The report further maintained, “The evidence further showed that out of the transferred sum of GH¢110,950.00, GH¢86,730.00 was used on activities of the EC and this expenditure is covered by the necessary payment vouchers.

“There is also evidence from issued cheques that an amount of GH¢25,134,591.29 was spent out of the operational account. The supporting vouchers for this expenditure, however, have not been traced.”

The AG’s Department said, “In the light of the foregoing, we are unable to establish whether or not any money has been dishonestly appropriated. It is also difficult to determine the specific amount of money which is lost or remains unaccountable.”

In coming to this conclusion, the AG explained that “There has not been any proper audit of the Staff Endowment Fund,” adding that “A draft audit on the docket concluded that the sum of GH¢480,177.87 (the Endowment Fund contribution for the period of March to October 2014) was used for operational activities of the EC, although there is no evidence to that effect on the docket.

“We are of the view that until a comprehensive audit is conducted into the Endowment Fund of the staff of the EC, it would be difficult to firmly establish the commission of any malfeasance.”

The AG’s Department went ahead to recommend “a comprehensive independent forensic audit of the staff Endowment Fund of the commission to facilitate further investigations into the matter.”

Even in the EOCO’s own investigations, the focus was clearly not on the three top officials it ordered to proceed on leave following an official complaint from the EC chairperson, Mrs. Charlotte Osei.

Georgina Opoku-Amankwaah, Deputy Commissioner in-charge of Finance and Administration; Kwaku Owusu Agyei-Larbi, Chief Accountant and Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah, Finance Director, were hounded out of office by the EOCO and their continuous stay out of office is beginning to raise eyebrows since nothing was found against any of the three top officials per EOCO’s own work.

The docket EOCO prepared on the matter and sent to the AG’s Department for advice did not make the three officials suspects in the case.

In fact, in the eight-page document sighted by DAILY GUIDE, Mrs. Opoku Amankwaah and the two others were treated as witnesses by the EOCO.

The document, dated January 10, 2018, had specifically mentioned Samuel Yorke Aidoo, the then Director of Finance, as well as Ishmael Pensah, a former Chief Accountant, who no longer works with the EC, as the suspects who were investigated by the EOCO.

The title of the docket - ‘The Republic vrs Samuel Yorke Aidoo and Ishmael Pensah’- captures Mrs. Osei as the officer who had filed the complaint before the EOCO.

A source told DAILY GUIDE that the AG’s Department would not have hesitated in preferring a charge against any suspect if the EOCO investigators had been able to do a good job.

In the opinion of the government’s legal advisor, there should be a forensic audit to establish whether funds were indeed misappropriated or not.

EOCO spent about seven months investigating the case.

MAHAMA WAS PAID $300,000 FOR GITMO TWO

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Saturday January 27, 2018

It is turning out that the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) government was paid over $300,000 for accepting to host the two alleged hardcore terrorists from Yemen who were deported from the United States Naval Base of Guantanamo Bay on the orders of former US President Barack Obama and his government.

The amount was meant for the upkeep of the two alleged Al-Qaeda terrorists: Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby as they stay in Ghana.

However, it has now been made clear that the amount paid was to cover the two for only two years and that any subsequent debt incurred over their upkeep (after the two years) is going to be borne by the Ghanaian taxpayer.

Then President John Mahama had said that the two Al-Qaeda fighters were brought into the country on ‘compassionate grounds.’ But the lack of transparency in the whole deal has triggered another round of heated political debate over the NDC’s handling of the matter at the time.

Majority Leader in Parliament and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, did not hide his irritation on radio Thursday when he said that the Mahama-led administration shortchanged Ghanaians in the whole deal.

He said that even before the deal was expired for any possible re-negotiation, the NDC government had issued Ghanaian passports to the alleged terrorists and were in the process of integrating them into the Ghanaian society.

The NDC government, he said, even went to the extent of trying to change the names of the two alleged Al-Qaeda terrorists and that records were there to prove that attempt.

According to him, the name change was even done way ahead of the expiry of the two-year agreement that President Mahama and his minister signed with the then Obama administration.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu also said Mahama and his administration surreptitiously granted the two - who according to US authorities, were Osama Bin Laden’s  foot soldiers - refugee status before the expiry of the two-year agreement.

He said one of them is married to a Moroccan but has vowed never to go to the Maghreb country for reasons best know to him.

The majority leader also said that then Foreign Minister, Hannah Tetteh, had created the impression in parliament that the so-called deal was subject to renewal after two years, which elapsed about two weeks ago, although the same Mahama government had secretly undermined the two-year agreement and granted them refugee status.

Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the NDC government, in altering the agreement, did not even have the courtesy to include it in the handing over notes to the NPP government during the transition early 2017.

The NPP Acting General Secretary, John Boadu, said on Asempa Fm that the Akufo-Addo government was able to successfully negotiate with Morocco to repatriate the alleged terrorists to that country, but when the documents were reviewed, it was detected that the Mahama administration had granted them refugee status without informing parliament.

Interestingly, the opposition NDC MPs in parliament, whose government took the unpopular decisions, are the same guys daring the current government to deport the two terrorists.

The minority chastised Akufo-Addo’s government over its failure to bring the agreement before parliament for ratification before allowing the terrorists to stay in the country.

NDC MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who appeared to have turned himself into a spokesperson for the alleged terrorists of late, said recently that the two men were comporting themselves and had not given the security agencies any cause to complain.

He claimed on Peace FM Thursday, “There was no specific exit agreement.....there is nothing wrong; we have always known that. That is why within the two-year period discussions ought to continue.”

The MP admitted that the Mahama administration decided to give a "refugee status" instead of a "permanent residence or a visa" because the refugee board can "revoke it" at any time.

“Our motivation was the national interest...it came with support for our national security in the fight against terrorism,” he claimed.

“There was the understanding that within the two-year period, there will be discussions between USA, Ghana and the two detainees to find out if they want to go back to their countries or remain in Ghana. If they decide to stay in the country, they can find employment if they are properly integrated; and I don’t find anything wrong with that, especially as government has confirmed that they have been of good behaviour,” he said.

.

According to him, “If we don’t feel comfortable with them, we can revoke the refugee status; tell them that we are deporting them; if we are no longer a compassionate country or give them an option of a third country like Morocco.”

He added, “We all have to be responsible as far as this issue is concerned and so I would have wished that the ruling government would not have politicized this issue; we don’t need politics to be.”

MAHAMA GAVE TERRORISTS PASSPORTS, WIVES

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday January 26, 2018

It has emerged that Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) government issued passports to the two alleged hardcore terrorists from Yemen who were deported from the United States Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay on the orders of President Barack Obama.

They were also given wives, allowing them to integrate into the Ghanaian society.

Majority leader in parliament and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, said on radio yesterday that the NDC government even went to the extent of trying to change the names of the two former Al-Qaeda terrorists – in the persons of Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby - as they continue to stay in the country and that records were there to prove that attempt.

According to him, the name change was even done way ahead of the expiry of the two-year agreement that President Mahama and his then foreign minister signed with the erstwhile Obama administration.

Mr Kyei-Mensah Bonsu also said that Mahama’s administration surreptitiously granted the two - who according to US authorities, were Osama Bin Laden’s   foot soldiers - refugee status before the expiry of the two-year agreement.

He said one of them is married to a Moroccan but has vowed never to go to the Maghreb country for reasons best know to him.

The majority leader further said that per the agreement, the over $300,000 released by the Obama government to Ghana under the deal covered the terrorists up to the two-year duration they had to be in the country.

He added that with the expiration of the agreement, the people of Ghana are the ones footing the bills for the two guys whom the US security intelligence said were dangerous.

Mr Kyei-Mensah Bonsu said then Foreign Minister, Hannah Tetteh, had created the impression in parliament that the so-called deal was subject to renewal after two years, which elapsed about two weeks ago - although the same Mahama government had secretly undermined the two-year agreement and granted them refugee status.

He said the NDC government, in altering the agreement, did not even have the courtesy to include it in the handing over notes to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government during the transition in early 2017.

Later, NPP acting general secretary, John Boadu, said on Asempa Fm that the Akufo-Addo government was able to successfully negotiate with Morocco to repatriate the terrorists to that country, but when the documents were reviewed, it was detected that the Mahama government had granted them refugee status without informing parliament.

DAILY GUIDE understands that the terrorists got married in Ghana and that the wife of one of them even gave birth a year ago.

The NDC government, according to sources, took every step to integrate them into the Ghanaian society and that was the reason why they attempted to change their names.

Last year, the Supreme Court declared as unconstitutional the admission of the two terrorists into the country by the Mahama administration.

A seven-member panel, presided over by Chief Justice Sophia A.B. Akuffo, by a six to one (6 -1) majority decision, said the two were illegally staying in the country since the then government allowed them into the country without prior approval of Parliament and the consequential order of the court was that the NPP government should within three months submit the agreement for parliamentary consideration and approval or in default, return the two ex-detainees.

Interestingly, the opposition NDC MPs in parliament, whose government took the unpopular decisions, are the same guys daring the current government to deport the two terrorists.

The Minority in parliament chastised Akufo-Addo-led government over its failure to bring the agreement before parliament for ratification allowing the terrorists to stay in the country.

NDC MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who appeared to have turned himself into a spokesperson for the terrorists of late, said recently that the two men were comporting themselves and have not given the security agencies any cause to complain.

A security expert told DAILY GUIDE that “Mahama and his ministers set a trap for the incoming administration. As it is, they appear to have tied the hands of the President and his NPP administration and this government has to be tactful in handling this issue.”

Another expert said that the passport is evidence of citizenship and it was strange that the Mahama government gave the refugees passports when they are not citizens.

He said that it can never be true that the government cannot deport the terrorists because they have been given refugee status, saying “the Refugees Act (1992) provides the government refuge to deport them,” and said “their passports can be seized if it was not properly acquired.”

NMC OKAYS GBC BOSS’ SUSPENSION

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday January 25, 2018

The National Media Commission (NMC) has affirmed the decision by the board of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), asking its Director General, Dr. Akuffo Annoff-Ntow, to proceed on leave with immediate effect.

The decision last week sparked heated debate over whether or not the board has the capacity to ask Dr Annoff-Ntow to step aside in the first place.

Media rights groups like Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and the Ghana Journalists’ Association (GJA) insisted that the board does not have the power to ask the Director-General to proceed on leave, but the NMC set the records straight yesterday, with a press release signed by Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng, its chairman.

“The National Media Commission (NMC) has noted developments at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and has been in communication with all the parties in the current dispute,” the statement said, adding, “It is the understanding of the Commission that the Director-General was directed by the GBC board to proceed on leave. The reason given by the board was to enable it to investigate matters relating to the setting up of courts to prosecute TV licence defaulters.”

According to the statement, “The NMC recognizes the board’s authority to determine matters of leave relating to the Director-General. However, the Commission has directed the board to determine the matters before it and to report to the Commission within one month in order to inform NMC’s decisions relating to all the issues at stake.

“In the interim, the NMC has also asked the GBC board to appoint an acting Director-General from within the management of the corporation in place of the current arrangement of an Interim Management Committee (IMC).”

The Commission assured all parties and the public that “the NMC remains committed to insulating the state-owned media from governmental control. At the same time, the commission shall at all times ensure that proper corporate governance principles pertain in all the state-owned media.”

Last week, the GBC Board Chairman, Rev Prof. Emmanuel Addo-Obeng, said Dr. Anoff-Ntow had been asked to proceed on leave because of his poor handling of the Television Licence Fee issue.

Prof. Addo-Obeng, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, said the decision asking Dr. Anoff-Ntow to step aside was taken on Monday, January 15, adding that the regulator - NMC - had been officially notified about the decision.

He said the extent of time for the Director General to be on leave “will depend on consultation with NMC.”

“We are going to immediately engage NMC to discuss a whole lot of issues affecting GBC and the future of the state broadcaster,” the Board Chairman said on Radio Ghana operated by the GBC.

He further explained that one board member and two directors are supposed to steer the affairs of the corporation until the issues are ironed out.

“We have put an interim management committee in place with a board member and two directors of GBC to hold the fort while this consultation goes on,” claimed the chairman.

The Divisional Union Chairman of GBC, Michael Allotey, called for calm among the GBC staff, saying, “As a union we need to engage our people, urging them to take it calm because it is a board decision but we will meet properly to tell the world our position. I also take this opportunity to urge workers to remain calm.”

Mr Allotey added, “Except that sometimes it is challenging because the question is, after DG what next? GBC has a problem and it has to be solved. I think it is time the nation decides what to do with the national broadcaster. It is either they keep it as a private entity or we continue to keep on the focus as a national broadcaster.”

The request by Dr. Anoff-Ntow to the office of the Chief Justice to set up courts that will prosecute defaulters of TV Licence - which was eventually approved - sparked outrage in the country.

In the ensuing heat, the GBC Director-General kept shifting his position over what TV users were supposed to do.

Per Section 1(a) of the TV Licensing Act 1966 (NLCD 89), defaulters were expected to be prosecuted and when found guilty, were supposed to pay a fine or serve an imprisonment term not exceeding one year; but the GBC Board moved swiftly to stop the prosecution aspect under the Act.

The board urged the National Media Commission (NMC) to explore a more sustainable funding module for the GBC.

EOCO DENIES EC STORY

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday January 24, 2018

The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) yesterday issued a statement denying a publication in DAILY GUIDE in the matter of some top officers accused of misappropriating GH¢480,177.87 of the Electoral Commission’s (EC’s) staff Endowment Fund.

A statement issued in Accra and signed by ACP K.K. Amoah (Rtd), Acting Executive Director of EOCO, stated, “The attention of the authority at the EOCO has been drawn to the banner headline of the 23rd January, 2018 edition of the DAILY GUIDE newspaper that ‘EOCO Clears EC Top Officers.’ “We wish to emphatically and categorically state that no such clearance has been issued by this Office to any of the Officers of the Electoral Commission.”

Mr. Amoah also said, “The attribution that ‘EC Chairperson is said to be manipulating EOCO’ is blatant falsehood and needs to be condemned. The general public is invited to disregard the said publication. EOCO will issue a statement on this matter.”

According to sources, even though the anti-graft body carried out the investigation on the EC’s case, it is distancing itself from the leakage of the document since its report was only submitted to the Attorney General upon whose advice the docket was raised.

The EOCO docket, signed by Evelyn D. Keelson, a chief state attorney, on behalf of the AG, concluded, “We are of the view that until a comprehensive audit is conducted into the Endowment Fund of the staff of the Electoral Commission, it will be difficult to firmly establish the commission of any malfeasance.”

Georgina Opoku-Amankwaah, Deputy Commissioner in-charge of Finance and Administration, together with Kwaku Owusu Agyei-Larbi, Chief Accountant and Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah, Finance Director, were hounded out of office by the EOCO on the instructions of the EC chairperson, Charlotte Osei, over the GH¢480,177.87 and their continuous stay out of office is beginning to raise eyebrows since nothing was found against any of the three top officials.

Interestingly, the advice from the Attorney General’s Department on the investigative report of the EOCO did not make the three officials suspects in the case.

In fact, in the eight-page document sighted by DAILY GUIDE, Mrs. Opoku Amankwaah and the two others were treated as witnesses by the EOCO.

The document, dated January 10, 2018, specifically mentioned Samuel Yorke Aidoo, the then Director of Finance, as well as Ishmael Pensah, a former Chief Accountant who no longer works with the EC, as the suspects who were investigated by the EOCO.

The title of the docket which reads, ‘The Republic vrs Samuel Yorke Aidoo and Ishmael Pensah,’ captures Mrs. Osei as the officer who had filed the complaint before the EOCO.

DAILY GUIDE is insisting that there are ‘unseen’ hands behind the prevention of the affected officers from going back to work.

When Mrs. Opoku Amankwaah decided to defy the EC and the EOCO to resume work last week, it was the EOCO boss who commandeered a police/military team to remove the deputy chairperson from office.

Recently, the deputy EC boss, frustrated by alleged manipulation of the EOCO investigation, defied the ‘stay at home’ order to return to work only for the anti-graft body to chase her out, even though no adverse findings had been made against her.

Mrs Charlotte Osei is said to have registered her displeasure for calling the affected people back because she doesn’t want to work with them.

Ms Opoku-Amankwaah said she was tired of the embarrassment visited on her by her continued interdiction and decided to resume work, saying that under the law it is only the President of the Republic who can send her packing.

However, the EOCO officers said they were still investigating the alleged misappropriation of the EC’s Endowment Fund, even though the three officers were not the focus of the investigation.

The EC chairperson is said to have indicated that she was not ready to work with any of her deputies as well as the Finance Director.

Interestingly, Mrs. Osei, together with her two deputies - Georgina Opoku Amankwaah and Alhaji Amadu Sulley, in-charge of Operations - are being investigated by a five-member committee set up by the Chief Justice, following petitions filed against them on allegations of abuse of office and conflict of interest under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.

Despite the damning allegations, the EC boss is still at post.

More anon

EOCO CLEARS EC TOP OFFICERS

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday January 24, 2018

It has emerged that the three top officers accused of misappropriating GH¢480,177.87 of the Endowment Fund of staff of Electoral Commission (EC) have been cleared by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

Georgina Opoku-Amankwaah, Deputy Commissioner in-charge of Finance and Administration; Kwaku Owusu Agyei-Larbi, Chief Accountant and Joseph Kwaku Asamoah, Finance Officer, were hounded out of office by the EOCO on the instructions of the EC chairperson, Charlotte Osei, over the alleged malfeasance, and their continuous absence from office is beginning to raise eyebrows since nothing was found against any of them.

Recently, Ms Opoku-Amankwaah, frustrated by alleged manipulation of the EOCO investigation, defied the ‘stay at home’ order and returned to work only for the anti-graft body to chase her out.

She said she was tired of the embarrassment being visited on her by her continued interdiction and decided to resume work, saying that under the law, it is only the President of the Republic who can send her packing.

However, the EOCO officers said they were still investigating the alleged misappropriation of the EC’s Endowment Funds, even though at that time the investigation was said to be over.

In July last year, Ms. Opoku-Amankwaah, Mr Kwaku Owusu Agyei-Larbi and Dr Joseph Asamoah were asked to proceed on leave over a reported missing GH¢480,000 from the Fund, after Ms Charlotte Osei had asked EOCO to investigate the matter.

Even though no adverse findings were made against them, the EC chairperson was said to be manipulating the EOCO.

Ms Osei is said to have indicated that she was not ready to work with any of her deputies, as well as the finance director.

Interestingly, she, together with her two deputies - Georgina Opoku Amankwaah and Alhaji Amadu Sulley, in-charge of Operations - are being investigated by a five-member committee set up by the Chief Justice, following petitions filed against them on allegations of abuse of office and conflict of interest under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.

Even despite the damning allegations, which are being probed, the EC boss is still at post.

AG’s Report

DAILY GUIDE has sighted an official report from the Attorney General’s Department indicating that the affected officers might not have anything to do with the alleged malfeasance and that it is rather two others who could be charged, if there was any action to be taken in the matter.

The report, dated January 10, 2018, indicates that the focus of the EOCO investigation was on Samuel Yorke Aidoo, the then Director of Finance, as well as Ishmael Pensah, a former Chief Accountant, who no longer works with the EC.

In fact, the title of the docket, which reads, ‘The Republic vrs Samuel Yorke Aidoo and Ishmael Pensah,’ shows that the affected officers were mere witnesses in the whole matter and Mrs. Osei is captured as the officer who had filed the complaint before the EOCO.

The said report to the EOCO, signed by Evelyn D. Keelson, a Chief State Attorney, on behalf of the AG, concludes, “We are of the view that until a comprehensive audit is conducted into the Endowment Fund of the staff of the Electoral Commission, it will be difficult to firmly establish the commission of any malfeasance.”

According to the report, Charlotte Osei, Georgina Opoku-Amankwaah, Kwaku Owusu Agyei-Larbi, Joseph Kwaku Asamoah, Samuel Yorke Aidoo and Ishmael Pensah gave statements to the EOCO in the matter and it came to light that the GH¢480,177.87 was to be transferred into an Investment Fund Account at NDK Financial Services from the period of March to October 2014 from the Controller and Accountant General’s Department.

“The amount of GH¢480,177.87 was, however, never transferred into the Investment Fund Account at NDK for the required period of March to October 2014,” it maintained.

According to the report, out of the GH¢480,177.87, only GH¢354,016.57 was transferred into the NDK account to cover arrears of investment from July to December 2013, instead of the intended period of March to October 2014, adding, “contributions received from the Controller and Accountant General’s Department for the period July to December 2013, therefore remain outstanding.”

The report said that investigations failed to show what happened to the EC staff contributions for the period July to December 2013, to which contributions for March to October 2014 were applied.

According to the report, Mr. Yorke Aiddo had said in a statement that the money was used for operational activities at the EC when the commission was cash-strapped and the then EC chairman, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan and Mrs. Opoku Amankwaah were aware of the situation.

It further said investigations did not address what happened to the GH¢126,161.3, being the difference between GH¢480,177.87 and GH¢354,016.57 applied in July to December 2013, adding that the EOCO investigations were restricted to GH¢480,177.87.

“The evidence shows that as at March 1, 2014, the opening balance of the main account of the commission stood at GH¢131,499.82, out of which GH¢110,950.00 was transferred from the main account into the operational account.”

The report said that out of the transferred amount of GH¢110,950.00, only GH¢86,730.00 was used on activities of the commission and the expenditure was covered by payment vouchers.

 “In the light of the foregoing, we are unable to establish whether or not any money has been dishonestly appropriated. It is also difficult to determine the specific amount of money which is lost or remains unaccountable,” the AG report said, adding, “This is because there has not been any proper audit of the Staff Endowment Fund.”

The AG said a draft audit report on the docket concluded that GH¢480,177.87 was used for operational activities of the commission but there was no evidence to that effect on the docket.

GRA BAGS GH¢32.3 BILLION FOR 2017

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Monday January 22, 2018

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) collected a whopping GH¢32.3 billion as taxes for 2017 but missed the target set for the year narrowly.

According to the Commissioner-General Emmanuel Kofi Nti, the authority could not meet the target of GH¢33.43 billion.

He insisted that the 2017 performance saw what he called a ‘nominal’ growth over the figures recorded in the last five years.

“As at the end of the year, the provisional collection figure stood at GH¢32.3 billion; it means we registered a shortfall of GH¢1.1 billion which translates into some 3.4%,” he said at a media soiree in Accra last Friday night, adding “it is a relatively good performance taking into account the performance over the last five years.”

The Commissioner-General said that “the collection taxes in terms of the US Dollar was stagnant and was in the region of 6.8 and 6.9 billion.”

“However for 2017, GRA collection rose to 7.6 billion and it was a break from the trend.”

Giving a breakdown for collection for 2017, he said that GRA targeted GH¢12.8, but collected GH¢13.8 billion for direct taxes on the domestic front and also targeted GH¢6.7 billion and collected GH¢6.4 billion as indirect taxes.

“On the customs front, we had a target of GH¢13.9 but we collected GH¢12.7,” he said, adding “in the net effect on the domestic front, we were able to exceed the target.”

He said “we didn’t achieve the target set but our performance saw a nominal growth of 22.3% over the 2016 collection figures.”

He said the GRA performed creditably, especially in the last six months, but fell short of the target marginally.

On the way forward, the Commissioner-General said that the implementation of the Excise Tax Policy, which could start last year, as well as the introduction of the electronic Point of Sale (PoS) systems as part of efforts to clamp down on tax evaders will help the authority to improve its performance in the coming years.

He said the paperless system at the ports, the roll out of the Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS) and the National Tax Campaign helped them to collect more taxes than previously.