3 Sue BNI

The Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) yesterday confirmed that three individuals had filed separate suits against it.

Charles Nii Adama Akrong, senior lawyer at the bureau however, told the commission investigating the payment of judgement debts that all the cases were pending in court and could therefore not go further.

Last Monday, the BNI was scheduled to give details to the commission on pending cases filed against it as well as notices of intention to sue as mandated by law, but the BNI notified the Sole Commissioner, Justice Yaw Apau, via telephone that it could not make an appearance because the personnel were engaged in a similar national assignment.

BNI had said in view of the handing over of the out-going National Security Coordinator to the in-coming one, it was unable to make an appearance.

The ‘Commission of Enquiry into the payment of Judgement Debt and Akin’ under C.I. 79 to investigate the frivolous and dubious payments of huge monies to undeserving individuals and companies,’ was appointed by President John Dramani Mahama after public uproar over the payments in what has now come to be termed as Judgement Debts (JD).

Giving a gist of the cases to the commission, Mr. Akrong said two employees of the bureau – Godwin Komla and Moses Ahiakpa – as well as Nana Abankwa Acheampong from Kumasi, had all filed suits against BNI.

In the case of Komla, he said the claimant was dismissed from the bureau, but not satisfied with the decision, filed a suit against it, claiming that Komla’s lawyers notified the Attorney-General as the law prescribes, but Ahiakpa and Nana Acheampong did not do so.

According to Mr. Akrong, the court ordered the BNI to reinstate Komla and he was paid about 80 percent (GH¢41,000 out of about GH¢48,000) as ordered by the court and added that the bureau also instituted a criminal action against Komla after an internal investigation was conducted in the matter and that decision compelled him (Komla) to go to court again.

In the case of Ahiakpa which is pending in court, the BNI lawyer said the claimant at a point forged a certificate to attempt to gain promotion saying, “We know him at all times to be Moses but he came with a BECE certificate with the name Phillip and after investigations, he was dismissed.”

The witness said Nana Acheampong also claimed that a state land in Kumasi where the BNI was set to develop belonged to him and therefore filed a writ against the bureau.

Acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Vincent Adzato-Ntem, also testified and said that currently, there were two cases against the ministry.

He said it involved Rana Motors over three KIA Sorento vehicles the ministry procured for the defunct Centre for Urban Transportation (CUT) at the cost of GH¢330,760.

Vincent Adzato-Ntem asserted that after Rana Motors had secured an order to confiscate and auction the vehicles, the A-G managed to secure a non-auction order to stop the auction. Justice Apau asked the ministry to liaise with the A-G to get the matter resolved before it turned into another judgement debt.

Mr. Adzato-Ntem also said the CUT employees had taken the ministry to the Labour Commission for non-payment of ESBs and the matter was yet to be resolved.

In the second case, he disclosed that the ministry, through the A-G, was in a tussle with a company called Sirus Ghana Limited after the ministry had signed a contract with it to provide 113 boreholes in the Yendi area but drilled only 10, even though the company was given mobilization fee.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Tony Aubyn, also appeared before the commission but said the chamber did not have any case pending against it.

Representatives from the Bank of Ghana, Nana Egyapong, Schedule Officer for Government’s Payments and Saviour Kudze of the Legal Department, also appeared before the commission and said they were compiling a list of cases against the bank.