SFO Report on Nduom

The Ghanaian Times says the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), has established acts of impropriety against Dr Kwesi Nduom, the President's nominee as Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Integration.

Consequently, Mr B.A. Sapati, acting SFO Executive Director, on Wednesday presented to Parliament his outfit's report on the investigation of Dr Nduom to the Appointment Committee. Sources at the SFO disclosed to the 'Times' that the allegations bothered on tax evasion, double standards, conflict of interest and abuse of office by the President's nominee.

It said in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the government, acting through the then Ministry of Information, authorised the State Enterprises Commission (SEC) to restructure the state-owned media, including the New Times Corporation, Graphic Corporation, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and the Ghana News Agency.

Dr Nduom, at the time a consultant to the SEC and also managing partner of Deloitte and Touche International, acted as a front man for the firm and influenced the SEC and the then Ministry of Information to award it a sub-contract job.

On the contrary, it was Deloitte and Touche Ghana, which undertook the project and upon completion, the firm was paid 500,000 dollars, which Dr Nduom is said to have transferred into his personal bank account, jointly operated with his wife, in the USA.

"By that act, he deliberately evaded tax, thereby denying the state of legitimate revenue from its citizen," the sources added.