Probe $179m Kelni GVG deal - Baako

A full-scale investigation into the $179m Kelni GVG contract will put the controversy to rest, Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Abdul-Malik Kwaku Baako, has said.

“I will begin from Public Procurement Authority, processes that they approved, is it in accordance with law or not? The track record of this GVG, beyond the media reports, can’t we assess those incidents? Then the value for money,” he said.

He indicated that he has listened to explanations from the Ministry of Communications and he is “inclined at this stage to think that the Ministry of Communications has a stronger case but I am not going to say that it is absolute, so, I call also an inquiry”.

Mr Baako, who was a guest on Accra-based Multi TV’s News File programme on Saturday, 26 May 2018, indicated that: “The Audit Service is there, they can investigate the processes, value for money, audit and all the rest. Somebody can petition the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and all that”.

He underscored the need “to put the issues before an established inquiry to determine the validity or otherwise”.

Meanwhile, Dr Kwabena Donkor, Member of Parliament (MP) for Pru East Constituency, has criticised the Ministry of Communications for awarding the contract to Kelni GVG without parliamentary approval.

IMANI Africa President, Franklin Cudjoe, has raised red flags about the deal indicating that millions of taxpayers’ money is going to waste for no work done, but the ministry has refuted the claims.

Commenting on the issue, Dr Donkor questioned why the contract was not sent to parliament for assessment in the first place, but the ministry went ahead to execute the deal with the Haitian firm.

“If a foreign company is being contracted by the National Communications Authority (NCA), then there is the issue of a foreign contract. Did it go through parliamentary approval?” he queried.

He continued: “If there is a foreign element in this, my ideal would have been this coming before parliament; we could have avoided this whole hullabaloo if this had come before the appropriate committee of parliament. The ministry, NCA would have had the opportunity to tender documents and dispel whatever it is that has to be dispelled. Other stakeholders would have also had the opportunity to come before the appropriate committee”.

Meanwhile, Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful and the Director-General of the NCA, Joe Anokye, have been summoned by parliament to brief the House on the controversial contract.

Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful is expected to brief the Communications Committee of Parliament on Tuesday, 29 May 2018.