In the possession of The Chronicle are documents that point to a virtual scramble over the disbursement of project funds totaling, over ?7billion in the last two years. Assembly members and other officials, who have turned themselves into contractors, have become beneficiaries of project contracts in total violation of the local government regulations.

Involved in the scandal are five topmost officials of the assembly, labeled in local circles as 'The Big Five' - the District Chief Executive (DCE), District Coordinating Director (DCD), District Planning Officer (DPO), District Finance Officer (DFO) and the District Engineer in charge of the Public Works Department (PWD) - who have reportedly, awarded contracts running into billions of cedis, without due regard to L.I.1606 of the local government act.

For instance, Mr. Joe Sam, assembly member for Anyaboni and chairman of the Works Sub-Committee, was on July 23, this year, awarded a ?300 million contract to supply sand and aggregates to 18 communities, where Plan International, an NGO, is putting up some projects.

According to the contract letter No. PBC.10/Vol.4/251, signed by Mr. G.Y. Addo, DCD, "the timeframe of the supply is as required by the communities."

Mr. Sam, who is also the NADMO district officer, is known to own Jonatesco Enterprises, which have been contracted to supply the sand.

The contract was awarded without the approval of the works sub-committee and the assembly, and in direct violation of the law and the president's order that assembly members who wanted to be contractors should first resign their positions.

Another dubious contract awarded on behalf of the DCE, Mr. Andrews Kwesi Teye, by the DCD, again without due process, was for the renovation of the Kpong West Catholic JSS (PBC, 10/Vol.4/235) valued at ?137.3 million; the alteration and renovation of Foreman Memorial Presbyterian School (PBC, 10/Vol.4/249) valued at ?185million, and the gravelling of the Odumase lorry park (PBC, 10/Vol.4/234) at ?17 million.

Available documents showed that contract agreement documents for the three projects (totaling ?340m), were not ready at the time the contracts were awarded yet the letters awarding the contracts had congratulated the 'winners', as if there was any competitive bidding or tender.

BRIBERY SCANDAL

Meanwhile, a report by the sub-committee, following a tour of some projects in the district on August 12th and13th, speaks of some startling revelation of malfeasance at the administration in the award and execution of contracts. The 14-member committee listed 26 areas of concern in the report and recommended that, "all projects, whose documents were called for in this report, should be suspended until the documents are tended for perusal and scrutiny".

This was the report that threw the bombshell. It said sensing danger of being exposed, the DCE bribed the entire committee with ?15.2m cash in order to "write good report about them". While some spent their booty, others, apprehensive of the outcome, are keeping theirs and have indicated their readiness to testify, when called upon. The bribery report, signed by 11 of the members, called for an independent investigation into all contracts in the assembly.

And in a footnote, Mr. John Laweh Djembi, member for Takorase/Osonson electoral area, who signed the report as the secretary to the works sub-committee, and who is implicated in the bribery scandal, observed that last year, when the then Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, directed that Mr. Alex Tetteh, a member, be sanctioned for conniving with a contractor to dupe the assembly of ?12m nothing was done. He quoted the minister's letter as having been written on November 14,2002, with reference number SCR/EA102/60/01.

The DCE, Mr. Teye, declined any comment on the matter when this reporter contacted him on phone. He said he found it inappropriate for a reporter from another region to talk to him on any matter. "From the word go you have created a problem by calling me from another region. It will be difficult for me to talk, " declared.

According to him there was a time when a 'fake' journalist talked to him on a sensitive matter, saying he would only talk in the presence of The Chronicle regional reporter in Koforidua.