C40m Contract Not Captured in TMA Budget

WHILE THE Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is vigorously conducting investigations into financial malfeasance at the Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA), involving Mr. Samuel Evans Ashong Narh, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Alhaji I. M. J. Hussein, Co-ordinating Director and Samuel Aryee, Finance Officer, Chronicle can reveal that a ?40 million contract awarded by the assembly for the construction of fence wall around the Tema Manhean Post Office was not captured in the budget.

Chronicle's further investigation can report that the contract was awarded to Mr. Ashitey Lartey, former government appointee to the assembly and blood-brother of the Minister for Fisheries and MP for Tema East, Hon. Ishmael Ashietey.

Tension built up at the corridors of the assembly in last March over the award of contracts valued at ?1.6 billion alleged to have been made above the head of the assembly.

The three contracts were fumigation of the Kpone refuse dump, computerisation of the billing system and revaluation of property in the municipality.

The findings of the three-member adhoc finance committee chaired by the former assembly member, Daniel Titus-Glover revealed that the contracts were awarded without approval from the Municipal Tender Board.

The committee's findings also revealed that payment of the ?1.6 billion was made, while indeed it was not captured in the 2002 budget and it took off before the budget was approved in February, this year.

Meanwhile, Chronicle's intelligence report has it that the three officers have appeared before the SFO for questioning.