You are here: HomeNews2000 07 12Article 10717

Editorial News of Wednesday, 12 July 2000

Source: null

Ghosts, Mafia take over… Deputy governor of BOG involved?

The Guide in its lead story says the phenomenal looting of state resources that seems to be part of normal national life is not limited to cash takings only as physical property belonging to the state are now being looted under very unacceptable circumstances.

The paper says it’s investigations have revealed that one of the biggest assets belonging to the defunct Ghana National Trading Corporation (GNTC) has been taken over by some unknown persons or a mafia group, and there is no evidence of any payment on that asset to the state to date.

“The magnificent GNTC headquarters in Accra (near the General Post Office) popularly known as Ghana House is someone’s property ‘for free’, the paper said.

The story has it that the building is now undergoing very extensive architectural changes for office accommodation that will attract thousands of dollars in rent when completed. Guide says its investigations into ownership of the building revealed a very funny “ghostly owner”, the ‘GNTC Winding-Up Committee’ whose chairman, Mr. Osei Kumah was former Managing Director of the company and currently, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana.

The paper says its underground investigations sighted a tender document that supports its claim. Guide says a source that pleaded anonymity told it that the committee was not mandated to go into any business by way of annexing any of the items on divestiture.

The source furthered however that if the committee that saw to the process of divestiture becomes interested in the property being sold, by way of ownership, then some improprieties are likely to set in.

Guide has it that so far there is no evidence of any payments on the Ghana House to the state, by whoever owns the property.