Ghana Water Company Probe Begins

The commission of enquiry, which was set up by the Ministry for Works and Housing, to investigate allegations of financial impropriety by top officials at the Ghana Water Company (GWC) began sitting on Tuesday. The focus of Tuesday’s sitting was on the printing of stationery worth two (2) billion Cedis for the company. The stationery and other materials, have been declared out dated and is therefore not in use by the company.

The first to appear before the five-member panel headed by Justice N.Y.B Adade is the Acting Chief Director of Finance of GWC, Mr. Kwasi Yankey. He told the committee that he was unaware that the printing of stationery which was being carried out by the various regions had been taken over by the head office as is being asserted by the former Managing Director, Mr.Charles Adjei. Mr.Yankey explained that under an agreement, which was reached in 1996, the various regional headquarters were responsible for printing their own value books, receipt books and LPO after they complained of the poor quality of stationery being printed by the Head office.

Responding to questions on why he was ignorant of certain transactions as a financial officer, Mr.Yankey explained that the Managing Director excluded him from being a signatory to the company’s account and this kept him in the dark.

The Finance Officer of the Accra Metropolis who appeared next also affirmed Mr. Kwesi Yankey’s position. He explained that the head office only supply stationery to the other regions only when they face shortage problems. He said that under the rules of the company, a purchasing committee handles all stationery purchases.

Their revelations were however challenged by the Mr. Charles Mensah, the former Managing Director of the company who said although the regions print their own stationery, the Head office supplies them with some as and when it decides to do so. The head of the commission asked the three people to present documents supporting their answers to the committee when it resumes sitting tomorrow.