Cheque For Speaker's $90,000 Benz Bounces Twice

Two separate cheques issued by Parliament for the payment of the new Mercedes Benz E50 purchased for the Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Peter Ala Adjetey has been dishonoured twice.

According to investigations, the first post-dated cheque which was issued on January 16, this year to Silver Star Auto Ltd was dishonoured by the Bank of Ghana followed by another which also bounced for reasons of insufficient funds.

According to the ''Ghanaian Chronicle'' its sources in Parliament confirmed the story but explained the House had not yet received their subvention from the Ministry of Finance at the time the cheques were issued.

The sources also blamed the bouncing of the cheques on ''both intra and inter communication lapses adding that Silver Star, the company which supplied the car tried to cash the money without seeking clearance with Parliament to confirm whether they had received their subvention.

According to the source, before the cheques were issued, Parliament agreed with Silver Star Auto that they had not received their subvention from the Ministry of Finance yet and that the cheques were being issued as a purchase commitment. Silver Star was then asked to seek clearance to confirm the availability of funds in the account.

When the Managing Director of Silver Star, Nouhad Kalmoni was contacted for a confirmation of the story he said ''Well all I can say is that initially there was a problem but we have rectified it''.

The Speaker earlier rejected an M-class which was ordered for him. Mr Adjetey reportedly said he was a Ga and did not need to travel outside Accra hence his rejection of the M-class four wheel drive for a saloon car. The M-class will be added to Parliament’s pool of cars, contrary to reports that it will be auctioned.

Two separate cheques issued by Parliament for the payment of the new Mercedes Benz E50 purchased for the Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Peter Ala Adjetey has been dishonoured twice.

According to investigations, the first post-dated cheque which was issued on January 16, this year to Silver Star Auto Ltd was dishonoured by the Bank of Ghana followed by another which also bounced for reasons of insufficient funds.

According to the ''Ghanaian Chronicle'' its sources in Parliament confirmed the story but explained the House had not yet received their subvention from the Ministry of Finance at the time the cheques were issued.

The sources also blamed the bouncing of the cheques on ''both intra and inter communication lapses adding that Silver Star, the company which supplied the car tried to cash the money without seeking clearance with Parliament to confirm whether they had received their subvention.

According to the source, before the cheques were issued, Parliament agreed with Silver Star Auto that they had not received their subvention from the Ministry of Finance yet and that the cheques were being issued as a purchase commitment. Silver Star was then asked to seek clearance to confirm the availability of funds in the account.

When the Managing Director of Silver Star, Nouhad Kalmoni was contacted for a confirmation of the story he said ''Well all I can say is that initially there was a problem but we have rectified it''.

The Speaker earlier rejected an M-class which was ordered for him. Mr Adjetey reportedly said he was a Ga and did not need to travel outside Accra hence his rejection of the M-class four wheel drive for a saloon car. The M-class will be added to Parliament’s pool of cars, contrary to reports that it will be auctioned.