Former Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah
Chief of Staff under the erstwhile John Mahama administration has alleged that some high profile members of the Akufo-Addo government, who once served under the John Kufuor administration purchased state vehicles under an existing policy in 2008.
Julius Debrah who was responding to claims by Thomas Kusi Boafo suggesting the NDC government bought cars at expensive prices and sold them back to the suppliers and party officials at cheaper cost, said there is a policy that permits government officials exiting office to purchase saloon cars aged two years and above.
According to him “This policy has been in existence since the advent of the fourth republic and persons benefitting from it are made to pay a commensurate value objectively determined by professional valuers.”
The Chief Executive Officer of the Public Sector Reforms alleged in an interview with Kessben TV that the vehicles which were bought at about $165,000 each were sold to government officials and party members at $2,500.
In a statement debunking Mr. Boafo’s allegations, the former Chief of Staff said, “Under no circumstance and at no time during my tenure as Chief of Staff or the previous government was any such vehicle either bought or sold at the price quoted by Kusi Boafo. His claims in that regard are therefore totally false and malicious.”
Mr. Debrah, therefore, charged the Mr. Boafo to also make public the number of government vehicles sold to NPP bigwigs before the exiting of the Kufuor-led administration and stop spreading falsehood.
“It is surprising, and perhaps underscores the malicious intent of Mr Kusi Boafo, that he failed to disclose vehicles bought by members of the Kufuor administration on the eve of their exit from office under the same policy and processes in 2008/2009. Many of the beneficiaries of that policy happen to be high-profile members of the Akufo-Addo government,” he added.
STATEMENT ON FALSE CLAIMS BY THOMAS KUSI BOAFO
My attention has been drawn to a number of claims by one Thomas Kusi Boafo in a video purported to be from a submission he made on radio regarding the number of vehicles bequeathed to the Akufo Addo government.
Mr Kusi Boafo among others claimed in the video, that it was the practice under the immediate past regime to buy expensive vehicles and have the suppliers buy them back at ridiculously low prices. In one instance he claimed that a vehicle bought for US$ 165,000 was sold to the supplier at US$ 2,500 after six months.
He also spoke about vehicles sold prior to the exit of the previous government.
For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to state as follows:
1) Under no circumstance and at no time during my tenure as Chief of Staff or the previous government was any such vehicle either bought or sold at the price quoted by Kusi Boafo. His claims in that regard are therefore totally false and malicious.
2) On the matter of vehicles bought by ex-government officials, Mr Kusi Boafo and his principals are aware of a long-standing policy under which saloon cars aged two years and above are permitted to be bought by departing government officials. This policy has been in existence since the advent of the fourth republic and persons benefitting from it are made to pay a commensurate value objectively determined by professional valuers.
It is surprising, and perhaps underscores the malicious intent of Mr Kusi Boafo, that he failed to disclose vehicles bought by members of the Kufuor administration on the eve of their exit from office under the same policy and processes in 2008/2009. Many of the beneficiaries of that policy happen to be high-profile members of the Akufo-Addo government.
These latest false claims follow similar claims by the Minister for Information, Mustapha Hamid, which are all false.
They also appear to be a rehash of untruthful claims made by Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, to the effect that over 200 vehicles could not be found at the Presidency.
We wish to assure however, that we stand prepared to correct such misimpressions and expose the mischief therein.
Julius Debrah
Former Chief of Staff
Monday, 15th January, 2018
