Prosecuting corrupt officers: Six cases sent to Amidu over massive fraudulent deals

Reports reaching DAILY GUIDE indicate that the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, is busily working on some cases involving fraudulent dealings in six state-owned agencies which have been referred to him.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor is said to have taken over the cases, and is investigating officials for causing financial loss to the state.

The companies are Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC), Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB), Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST), Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and the Ghana Technology University College (GTUC).

Documents available to DAILY GUIDE showed that forensic audit was conducted by reputable international auditing firms into the affairs of the aforementioned agencies and others where massive looting of state resources through procurements and deliberate stealing of money running into several billion Ghana cedis were detected.

According to the auditors, there were massive breaches of the Public Procurement Law (Act 663, 2003) and the Public Procurement (Amendment) Law (Act 914, 2016) and mentioned some of them as “inflation of contracts sums and non-performance of contracts. Others include non-enforcement and breach of contracts.”

The auditors also discovered “breach of the provision of the Financial Administration Regulation, 2004 (L.I. 1802), such as cash disbursement without authorization, deposit of public funds into personal accounts and failing to account for accountable travelling allowances.”

According to sources, this is just a tip of the iceberg of the corruption that characterized the previous Mahama administration.

Former President John Mahama has already dared the current administration to prosecute him or his appointees if there is evidence of wrongdoing.

He also urged NDC supporters to flood courts in solidarity with corrupt appointees who would be put before court.

BOST Saga

It is turning out the GH¢40.5 million allegedly transferred from the BOST to the previous Mahama administration constitutes just a fraction of the mess that characterized the state oil facility under the leadership of Kinsley Kwame Awuah-Darko.

Mr Awuah-Darko, who is on self-imposed exile, is said to have superintended over massive corruption at BOST.

The real amount allegedly misappropriated is believed to be in excess of hundreds of millions of cedis, according to the report from the forensic audit into some state-owned companies.

Some top officials of BOST have also been cited in the report for misappropriation of public funds and are going to be asked to account for them.



A former Managing Director Kingsley Kwame Awuah-Darko, according to the forensic audit, allegedly misappropriated GH¢109,498,565 and $33,305,527, and funds transferred to the Chief of Staff alone was GH¢83,567,206 aside from the GH¢40.5million earlier reported.

The report said the former Board Chairman of BOST Kakra Essamuah has to account for GH¢1,941,527.00 and $3,741,527.00.

According to the report, George Aborah, former General Manager, Finance at BOST, allegedly misappropriated GH¢86,418,225.00 and $8,088,986 and should ‘account’ for the amounts.

The report also cited Mr Aborah for allegedly transferring GH¢40,500,000 to the Chief of Staff and was also cited for procurement irregularities amounting to GH¢14, 272, 126.

He is also to account for GH¢2,539,624.55 as “excess cash management and transfer fees charged by First Atlantic Bank.”

The report further said GKA Consultancy Services, owned by Mr. Aborah, misappropriated GH¢2,800,000 and $647,000 and therefore should account for that amount.

Project Manager of BOST, Ato Wilson, was cited for procurement irregularities amounting to GH¢14,272, 126 and should account for $9,572.34.