GFZ is not your personal property, Twum Boafo

MEDIAWATCH RESEARCH ASSOCIATES

An organisation dedicated to addressing corruption in Ghana and Africa.

Ghana Free Zones Board is not your personal property ,Mr Twum

Boafo

Our attention has been drawn to comments and responses by Mr Kojo Twum Boafo alias “ABOLO”(A nickname from his Achimota School Days 1981-1988) the current Chief Executive of the Ghana Free Zones Board to the allegations that we at Media watch Research Associates recently raised. We raised these allegations and made our recommendations because

1. Ghana Free Zones Board is not the personal property of Mr Twum Boafo where public funds are dissipated and diverted to satisfy personal whims and caprices. WE REPEAT, GHANA FREE ZONES BOARD IS NOT YOUR PERSONAL PROPERTY MR TWUM BOAFO!!!!!

2. Ghana Free Zones Board was set up to support and promote the expansion of our country’s manufacturing industry. This vision is sabotaged when public officials begin to engage in clandestine practices that would lead to its destruction. We have a responsibility as an organisation and as Ghanaian citizens to expose wrongdoing. If 500,000 United States Dollars of Ghanaian public money develops legs and walks out of the public exchequer aided by somebody’s hands out of the country do we not have a right to talk about it? Are we now second class citizens who should keep quiet?

3.It is a fact that Kojo Twum Boafo run a company with Mr Ato Ahwoi and this company is based at Labone Estates. We stand by the statement that this company receives 40% of government contracts without going through public tender. Mr Twum Boafo’s involvement in this company violates Article 284 of our National Constitution which states “a Public Officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interests conflicts or is likely to conflict with the functions of his office”. Is Mr Twum Boafo above the law and above the constitution of the Republic of Ghana?

3. Mr Twum Boafo has not told the truth about his relationship with the South African National Mr Pieter Von Guggestien,a man wanted for corporate fraud and false accounting in South Africa, his relationship with some south African nationals and the bank accounts

We appeal to the Bureau of National Investigations(BNI), Minister of Justice, Mr Martin Amidu, The Economic and Organized crime officer(EOCO) and the Criminal investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service to join forces ,investigate and carry out a forensic and painstaking audit of all activities from May 2009 to November 2010 ,to investigate all electronic mail and correspondence. We also throw a challenge to the Auditor General to publish the financial report on the Ghana Free Zones Board during this period. We appeal to the Auditor General not to cover up any financial malfeasance that is discovered and that will corroborate our position.

We also repeat our appeal to Mr Twum Boafo, if he respects himself, The President of the Republic, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, his colleagues and party members of the National Democratic Congress and the people of Ghana, if he truly believes in the basic tenets of the National Democratic Congress one of which is probity and accountability to stand down from his position as he may seek to interfere with any investigation that may take place unless the law enforcement authorities and the President seek to protect him, which will be a travesty ,a miscarriage of justice and a betrayal of the honest, dillgent and hardworking staff of the Ghana Free Zones Board and the people of Ghana.

We will continue with our crusade to root out all forms of abuse and corruption in public life and if the battle to do so has started with him and which we will extend to any person who breaches the public trust, so be it.

Mrs Haleema Asana Kabore, Executive Director.

Mediawatch Research Associates, Accra