A former Board Chairman of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Alhaji Amadu Sorogho, says former Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Ekow Spio Garbrah, acted promptly when an anonymous whistle blower wrote to him about allegations of fraud and bribery at the authority.
He said Mr Garbrah instructed the board of GSA to initiate investigations into the allegations which involved the former Executive Director, Dr George Crentsil on the grounds that he received a $1.2million kickback from a contractor.
In a radio interview with Accra based Class FM Tuesday evening, Alhaji Sorogho argued that Mr Garbrah should be commended for initiating the action even though the whistle blower was anonymous.
Dr Crentsil, according to a Joy FM report has admitted receiving the money from the contractor, Lemet Construction Company, a company, which was contracted to construct a new training school block for the GSA in Accra at about Gh¢15.2 million.
The contractor is however yet to complete the building project due to lack of funds, a situation that compelled the board of directors to question the contractor and the GSA boss.
The GSA is said to have awarded the GHc15.2 million contract in July 2012 to Lemet Construction Company to build a new training school and hostel facility for the authority in Accra.
Reactions
Speaking publicly on the matter for the first time since reports emerged that the issue was not reported to the transition team, neither was it in the transition notes, and by so doing, the NDC administration wanted to cover up the matter, Alhaji Sorogho said Dr Garbrah should be commended rather and that it was not his intention to cover up.
He explained it was not in the transition notes because the reported was handed over to Mr Garbrah on his last days in office.
He explained that the GSA board and the Dr Gabrah got wind of the said ‘kickback’ through an anonymous letter someone wrote to the minister.
He said the minister received two anonymous letters, in which the latter contained about 18 allegations and that the said anonymous author did not write his name, address, contact details or appended his or her signature on the said letter.
Investigations
Alhaji Sorogho explained that the allegations made in the said anonymous author compelled Dr Garbrah to sanction a four-member committee to investigate the matter through the board.
He said further that the findings from the committee, however, came late, as the previous government was preparing to leave office for the current administration.
Asked about whether the said money went to the former GSA boss, Alhaji Sorogho declined to talk about that but said the public must commend the minister for the bold decision he took in finding out the truth in the said allegations contained in the said anonymous letter.
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