Senior Minster’s decision to go to court is ‘bold’ – Lawyer reacts

Member of National Democratic Congress( NDC) Godwin Edudzi Kudzo Tamakloe has reacted sarcastically to Senior Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo’s announcement that he is headed to court in order to clear his name with regards to a surcharge imposed on him by the Auditor-General following a deal with Kroll and Associates. He described Mr Osafo-Maafo’s announcement as ‘bold’.

Senior Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo has in a statement said that he was convinced that the Auditor-General’s surcharge and disallowance imposed on him were done in error and based on unprofessional conduct. And therefore he was headed to court to clear his name.

But Mr Tamakloe, who is also a member of the NDC’s Communication, points out that even though the contract with Kroll Associates was signed on 26th September 2017, the Ministry of Finance had begun paying in March 2017.

“Mr Yaw Osafo Marfo must be very ‘bold’ to even write on official letterhead about his intention to go to court to challenge the disallowance and surcharge.

Really?

Kroll started work in February 2017.

Ministry of Finance started paying them in March 2017 when there was no contract.

It was until 26th September 2017 that Osafo Marfo now signed a formal with Kroll taking effective from February 2017,” he reacted to news of his lawsuit.

The lawyer added that the contract required parliamentary approval which was not given yet Osafo-Maafo went ahead and signed the contract.

“Kroll is a UK company. The contract with Osafo Marfo who signed on behalf of Government had no parliamentary approval in compliance with the strictures of Article 181(5) of the 1992 Constitution,” he asserted.

Furthermore, he stated that the contract was sole-sourced without approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).

“It is instructive to note that it was sole-sourced contract without any sole sourcing approval from the Public Procurement Authority before the contract was signed.”

He concluded by expressing surprise at the fact that the Attorney General witnessed the contract: “I find it curious that the Attorney General, Miss Gloria Afua Akuffo, witnessed the contract.”

Edudzi Tamakloe seems to suggest that the Senior Minister’s suit will amount to nothing but it is only the court that can decide on the lawfulness or otherwise of the transaction.