‘Probe ambassador-designate for fraud’

A group of contractors in the Brong Ahafo Region have called on President John Mahama to direct the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to investigate former Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, ambassador-designate, for awarding fraudulent contracts to them.

The aggrieved contractors claimed Mr. Nyamekye-Marfo and his deputy, Eric Opoku, now Ashanti Regional Minister, jointly awarded them contracts in 2011 to supply furniture to basic schools in the region, but have since not been paid two years after supplying the furniture.

They claimed the contract letters issued to them were not copied to the relevant ministries and agencies such as the Ministry of Education, Finance and the GETFund, thereby raising serious doubts.

According to the contractors, both the Ministry of Education and the GETFund have denied knowledge of the said contracts and have since refused to release funds to them.

Over 90 contractors were engaged in the project, which was part of the Schools under Trees programme.

Recently, 13 aggrieved contractors who pursued the matter in court secured a gargantuan judgment debt against the government leading to the confiscation of some vehicles belonging to the Ghana Education Service (GES) in Sunyani.

They recently threatened to keep vigil at the Regional Minister’s office at the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) in Sunyani by the end of this month in order to retrieve their monies.

In an interview with DAILY GUIDE, they said they had rescinded their decision to besiege the RCC, but asked the authorities to launch investigations into the matter to compel Mr. Nyamekye-Marfo to explain the mystery behind the fictitious contracts.

“He (Mr. Nyamekye-Marfo) directed the award of the contracts. Their action is criminal and need to be investigated,” they contractors alleged.

“Such questionable character cannot be a good ambassador for the people and Government of Ghana.”

Meanwhile, the unpaid contractors have threatened to spill the beans to expose the various officials who asked them to pay huge bribes before the said contracts were awarded to them.

They appealed to the President to intervene in the matter before the former Regional Minister leaves the country to occupy his ambassadorial position.

The businesses of some contractors have collapsed as a result of the huge bank loans they contracted to execute the project.