AFTER MONTHS OF fresh investigations into the affairs of the Works and Housing Ministry, GYE NYAME CONCORD can reveal that the current Minister for Private Sector Development, Hon. Kwamena Bartels, gave approvals for the supply of furniture, procurement, sewing and hanging of curtains worth ?807,300,000 without passing them through a competitive bidding process.
A faintly discernible act, this is not even captured in detail by the infamous May 2002 Special Audit Report of the Ministry of Works and Housing prepared by Ms. Mabel Irene Krow, an Assistant Director of the Auditor General’s Department, which indicted Mr. Bartels and some colleague ministers.
But with a dossier of documents available to it, this paper can reveal that the minister gave the approval in different letters signed on his behalf by his front man, Mr. Bernard Akuffo-Addo.
Mr. Bernard Akuffo, a junior officer of the Works and Housing Ministry under Mr. Bartels signed almost all the documents on behalf of the Minister instead of the Deputy Minister or the Chief Director of the Ministry as the rules and procedures dictate.
In a letter dated October 15, 2001 the Minister gave approval to Crest Stone Limited to procure, sew and hang curtains in bungalow No. 15, 4th Circular Road and thereafter submit their bill for settlement, this paper can reveal.
In another memorandum dated October 23, 2001 to the Chief Director of the Works and Housing Ministry, the Minister’s front man confirmed that the work has been satisfactorily done.
This paper can also reveal that the Minister gave a unilateral approval to Stepmen Furniture, an Accra-based company, to supply assorted furniture to four new bungalows at Osu Ringway Estate, Accra.
The furniture numbering up to 20 different sets included orthopedic mattresses, a king size bed, a dinning table, among others.
Guest rooms, study rooms, master bedrooms, bedroom 2 and bedroom 3 and the boy’s quarters of the bungalow were some of the areas furnished with the furniture.
The total cost of these materials, according to the pro-forma invoice from Stepmen furniture, a copy of which is in the possession of Gye Nyame Concord was ?308 million.
Other details were contained in a letter dated Oct 12, 2001 that was yet again signed by Mr. Akuffo on behalf of Hon. Bartels, the then Works and Housing Minister.
Then on October 20, 2001, the same Minister also gave another approval without tender to the same furniture company to f urnish Bungalow No. 3, New Patrick Lumumba Road, Roman Ridge, Accra, with assorted furniture.
Further, the Minister on November 2, 2001 approved the supply of 14 different sets of furniture to the offices of his current ministry, the Ministry of Private Sector Development.
Another payment of ?383 million was made through an invoice dated October 26, 2001and numbered 00304 and bears the signature of the Manager of Stepmen Furniture.
This payment covers the supply of furniture to the guest rooms, study rooms, 3rd bed room, 4th bedroom, and boy’s room among others of the Ministry of Private Sector Development.
However the infamous 2001 Audit Service Report on the renovation of the 50 government bungalows was quiet on this apparent lack of transparent competitive bidding in the award of the contracts.
The report only chided the Ministry for pre-financing the contract.
When this reporter made a contact at the Minister’s office some weeks ago to get his side of the story, the Minister was not available for comment.
However, the reporter was asked by the Minister’s Secretary to summarise his mission in a sentence on a tiny appointment sheet, which Hon. Bartels responded to via the secretary.
The reaction which was on a half-sized foolscap sheet was only read to the reporter by the Minister’s secretary.
The secretary even upon a protest from the reporter refused to allow him access to the response sheet, saying it belonged to the ministry and not the reporter or the Gye Nyame Concord.
According to the secretary, the minister said he could not respond to the issue because it was at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
This reporter tried in vain to explain to the secretary that this matter was not the one at CHRAJ all to no avail.
After a lengthy argument with the recalcitrant secretary, the reporter advised himself and left.
