C'ttee to investigate ?700m shoes, socks CEPS purchase

Following the Chronicle newspaper's publication about a suspected ?700 million shoe deal at the Customs Excise Preventive Service (CEPS), the Ministry of Finance has set up a committee to investigate the allegations.

The committee is the second to be constituted after the first one was formed on the 5th of last month and dissolved. The 31 July, front-page issue of the Chronicle published that officers of CEPS had raised eyebrows over the cost of shoes and socks supplied to them.

The paper reported that 1500 pairs of shoes were supplied to officers at ?450,000 a pair, while the same quantity of socks were supplied at ?35000 per pair thus a total of ?727.5m involved in the whole contract.

The CEPS Commissioner, BRIG Richardson Baiden, said that the first committee was dissolved because the minister preferred an independent committee to investigate the allegations.

Speaking in an interview, he said that," The minister wanted an independent committee to look into this and therefore the committee has been recomposed, the ministry has written to us that the new institutions on which they are going to draw the membership of the newly composed committee are the Accountant General Department, the Attorney General Department, Auditor General Department and Ministry of Finance".

He said the chairman of the new committee who has been given the mandate to finish his work by the 26th of this month comes from the Ministry of Finance (MOF).

The first committee, which dissolved, had the following as its members, the chairman, James Quarshie (MOF), Daniel Acquaye (Internal Revenue Service) and Secretary Alex Bonti (Vat Service). The committee was supposed to have submitted its report to the commissioner by 20 August.

Chronicle investigations showed that the new committee had been tasked to investigate the following, examine the manner in which the contract to supply came to be awarded, whether the laid down procedures for the procurement were followed, whether the CEPS got the best bargain, the role of the members of CEPS purchasing committee, sanctions to be prescribed for any breaches of due processes in procurement, any other matters which in the opinion of the members would be relevant to the enquiry among others.

Among those to appear before the committee were, the Deputy Commissioner in charge of Information Technology, Mrs. Comfort Boahene-Osafo, Deputy Commissioner in charge of Duties, LT Col (RTD) Ashiagbor, Ag. Assistant Commissioner in charge of Legal, Mrs. Novisi Aryene.

Others were, Chief Collector in charge of stores, Ms. Gertrude Ampaw, Chief collector in charge of Purchasing, E. A. Okyne, Chief Collector in Charge of Accounts and Budget, Isaac Crentsil, the Senior Collector in charge of Administration, Ms. Patricia Cofie.

The rest were, Chairman of the Senior Collectors, Christopher Larweh, Assistant Collector in charge of Purchasing, companies and suppliers who bid for the contract, namely, Yorkshell LTD, Elsbury LTD and Hold Variety& Distribution Agencies and any other(s).