The "Manyagate Chop Chop" Scandal JUDGEMENT DAY

* Tapes, letters now ready
* DCE on dismissal spree
* PM notified of received bribes
As part of the fact-finding mission to unearth the mystery behind the rot at the Manya Krobo District Assembly, your authoritative Chronicle goes beyond the mere administrative flaws now rampant in the assembly, and serializes the criminal aspect of it all by giving a minute-by-minute account of a ?15.2 million bribery deal meant to gag assembly members, a release of some recorded bizarre conversations that will go down into history as ‘The Manyagate Scandal’, and the finding of secret letters that tell it all. Here is the first of the series:

At a general meeting held on the 17th and 18th August 2003, the assembly found out that certain contracts were awarded by the administration without due process; and not even with the knowledge of the Works Sub-committee.

This was after the sub-committee had inspected various construction sites in the district on the 11th, 12th and 13th of the same month.

The assembly mandated the sub-committee to look into the matter; but feeling jittery of the imminent shameful outcome of that exercise, the DCE, Hon. Andrews Kwesi Teye and his four ‘lieutenants’ (coordinating director, G.Y. Addo, planning officer, F.K. Asiedu, district engineer, PWD, Eric Adjei and the budget officer), who are suspected of being at the fore of the ‘chop chop scheme’, had to make frantic moves to halt the snowball of shame staring them in the face.

And on Friday, August 22, this year, Mr. Asiedu, the planning officer set the bribery machinery in motion when he called two assembly members into his office and handed an envelope containing a paltry ?200,000 to them. The amount, said to be contributions from contractors, was given to Hon. Dadematse Lawer Djembi, member for Takorase/Osonson in the presence of Hon. Rudolf Tetteh Baah (alias Doctor) of Manya Kpongunor West. At the back of the envelope was the inscription ‘Works Comm’, and initialed by Asiedu.

Then on Tuesday, August 26, the bribery machine rolled again. Asiedu paid a second amount of ?3 million to Djembi, this time in the presence of Hon. I. N. Tettehtsu, member for the Bisa electoral area. The reason for the payment was to entice the members to write favourable reports about the executive committee to cover the shoddy works being done in many places and the unbelievable contract sums that go with them.

The Chronicle confirmed, after deep investigations, that another member of the sub-committee, Hon. Andrews M. Kpabitey of Odumase South, was shown the amount; and in the company of Djembi and Hon. Joseph K. Nomo of Sawa electoral area, reported the unfortunate development to the chairman of the Finance and Administration sub-committee, Hon. F. A. Sackitey of the Atua electoral area, for advice.

The matter caused so much stir in the assembly that, later in the evening of that day, Djembi and Hon. D.T. Kofi, member for Sutapong/Takorase, drew the attention of the presiding member, Mrs. Regina A. Apotsi, by calling her on her Spacefon number 024-777333.

Hon. Apotsi allegedly promised to look into the matter when she returned to Accra, but nothing was done. The celebrated lawyer would, however, not talk to The Chronicle with the usual refrain that “the case is under investigation.”

Official sources, backed by taped conversations, point to the fact that, the DCE was neck deep in the whole deal. And on August 27, he released his official pick-up to Asiedu to go and collect another ?5 million from an unknown place.

The amount was to be raised at all costs because the executive committee was to meet the following day, and the works sub-committee must present something good to suit the day.

True to the DCE’s promise, the ?5m was paid that evening at the main Odumase lorry park by his right hand man and member for Anyomboni, Hon. Joe Sam. A recorded conversation between Sam, the district NADMO director and Djembi, the recipient of the latest sum, sounded rather startling as Sam could be very audibly, heard lambasting the deputy eastern regional minister, Hon. Gustav Dometey, accusing him of being unfaithful.

As if that was not enough, Sam confirmed on September 9 that a final ?7 million had been released to other members to complete ‘the job’. But this reporter can bet his neck that two members (male and female) boldly refused to collect the ‘booty’. Like the biblical ‘get behind me Satan’, Mrs. Felicia M. Tettey (Asesewa Communities D, E, F) and Joseph K Nomo (Sawa), resisted the temptation to be bribed. They can testify to how they passed the test.

Some of the wrappers of the monies given as bribes, sighted by Yours Truly, indicated that they were withdrawn between the 8th and 18th of August from the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), the National Investment Bank (NIB) and the Upper Manya Krobo Rural Bank, all of Koforidua.

This reporter has traced part of the money to the Akuse branch of the GCB, and can report that on August 29, ?8million was deposited into account number 8741 in the name of Djembi John Lawer.

Other interesting revelations were that, all along, the DCE (Teye) had been exchanging secret letters with Djembi, who received most of the cash. The contents of two of such ‘unholy communications’ are being published here, in the national interest, for readers to make informed judgements.

Fresh reports as we go to press, tell of a one-man-show administration at the assembly. Within two years, Teye could not work with two coordinating directors, a deputy-coordinating director, planning officer, budget officer, driver, and security man; and had them all removed.

And as an icing on the cake, the embattled Teye is in a tug-of-war with his lady confidential secretary. He had, within two weeks, directed in three different letters that she proceeds on leave, answer a query and go on indefinite suspension, all at the same time. Whatever there are to hide, would be unveiled soon.