SFO blames Ato, Peprah

Investigations by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into the Quality Grain scandal has implicated the former Chief of Staff, Nana Ato Dadzie, and former Finance Minister Mr Kwame Peprah, as having indulged in fraudulent activities by assisting an unregistered company to acquire state funds, The Ghanaian Times reports.

Mr Peprah was cited to have approved and executed loan agreements in favour of the Quality Grain Company Ltd without parliamentary approval, while Nana Ato Dadzie supervised the granting of such loans.

The investigations also cited Alhaji Ibrahim Adam, a former Minister of Agriculture, for introducing Miss Renee Woodard, Chief Executive of the company, to the Finance Ministry and also using his office to acquire land in Aveyime for the cultivation of the rice farm.

The Attorney-General and minister of Justice, Nana Akuffo Addo, who disclosed these at a press conference in Accra, mentioned Dr. Samuel Dapaah, Chief Director of the Agriculture Ministry, as having also been implicated by the investigations.

Dr Dapaah, together with Dr George Sikpah-Yankey, Legal Advisor at the Finance Ministry, were said to have facilitated the granting of loans and helped transfer the monies involved into the personal account of Ms Woodard, respectively.

Although the SFO investigations have not in any way been focused on them, the Minister of Justice expressed the belief that former President Jerry John Rawlings and his Vice, Professor John Ata Mills, should be held responsible for having authorized or sanctioned actions leading to the loss of over 20 million dollars to the state.

He stressed that the investigations were still ongoing and that those found guilty would be dealt with according to the law.

The company was incorporated in the country in July 1995 and although had not registered with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, proceeded to demand and act on rights accorded investors for four years.