Tsatsu in trouble again?

Former Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, GNPC), Tsatsu Tsikata is in trouble again, according to the vanguard.

The paper says documents available to it suggests that Mr. Tsikata spent 67,873,83 pounds and another 100,000.00 pounds on legal case between the GNPC and Societe General S.A.

“The amount was used to defend the GNPC by a legal firm headed by Geoffrey Bindman because of Tsatsu’s management decisions which cost the nation several billions of cedis as debt owed to Societe General S.A. by the GNPC.

Sources at the Auditor-General’s Department have confirmed to The Vanguard that the money spent by Tsatsu Tsikata did not reflect in its forensic audited report, which means that Tsatsu spent the money without the approval of the Corporation’s Board of Directors.”

According to the paper, GNPC lost the case and the court ruled that one of its (GNPC) rigs berthed on the Angolan Waters be seized.

In an e-mail letter to the former GNPC boss dated October 30th, 2000, from Janet Teale, Tsatsu’s attention was drawn to a factual error in the legal bill previously sent to GNPC. “We are sorry that we are having to e-mail a lot of the documents to you but we have had a great difficulty in transmitting them by facsimile.”

Following the receipt of the letter, the paper says Mr. Tsikata referred it to the then acting manager, finance and administration to act promptly on it, which they did.

The then acting treasurer of GNPC did approve the payment of 100,000 pounds to be paid on account. The reasons for the approval of the amount were not given.

“Mr. Tsikata who has won a constitutional legal battle against the government on the legality of the fast track court could not be reached for comments, Mrs. Esther Cobbah Tsikata, head of GNPC’s public relations department at the time of Mr. Tsikata’s tenure of office could also not be reached for comments,” the paper says.