Regional Minister, MCE accused of extortion, embezzling premix fuel funds

Fisher folks at Duakor in the Central Region have given the regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan and the Cape Coast Municipal chief executive Ernest Arthur two weeks to account to them, proceeds from the sale of premix fuel in the region.

According to them, the two government officials and the Central Regional Interim Premix Committee have embezzled monies from the sale of premix fuel belonging to the landing beaches in the region.

Addressing a news conference Wednesday, Ishmael Aggrey, a rep for the Cape Coast Metro Chief Executive on Duakor Community Premix Committee alleged the two officials have mismanaged proceeds from the premix fuel for the landing beaches.

“Where are the proceeds from the sale of the loads or premix belonging to the landing beaches committees in the Central Region including the Duakor landing beach and its committee?” he asked.

He claimed the regional minister and the municipal chief executive traded premix fuel and took the proceeds away under the pretext of safekeeping.

According to Mr. Aggrey, the two government officials have created different bank accounts aside of Interim Central Regional Premix Committee account without recourse to the landing breaches.

Again, he alleged Mr. Duncan and Arthur have teamed up and used their offices to organize series of meetings “to further extort more money from the entire Cape Coast landing beaches” under the pretext of building a new market sheds.

The two, he claimed, “are engaged in a carefully planned scheme to extort monies from the Duakor fishing community and the rest of the fishing landing beaches in the central region”

He said the two officials are incapable of managing the premix activities as required by the guidelines on premix fuel, stating “these two appointees lack the basic understanding of the spirited letters of the LI 2233”.

“The entire Duakor fishing premix committee members are giving two appointees two weeks to render account else we will meet them court,” he warned, adding they have been in touch with their lawyers to seek justice for the fishing community landing beach committees.