Minority accuses government of corruption

Accra, Feb. 19, GNA - Mr Alban Bagbin, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority Leader in Parliament on Wednesday accused the government on a wide range of its transactions, which have been loaded and tented with corruption.

He said: "The declaration of Zero Tolerance for Corruption by the President at the inception of his administration has become a mere slogan. The real essence of the declaration is observed more in the breach than in its compliance."

Mr Bagbin, who was addressing a press conference at Parliament House on two years of NPP administration: a litany of broken promises and shattered dreams said the zero tolerance was being used as a "weapon of political vendetta against political opponents is manifested by the selective manner in which persons bel! onging to other political parties have been harassed, prosecuted and persecuted in the Fast Track Courts, while questionable deals and glaring malfeasances by the President's own men are gleefully ignored or glossed over."

He said: "apart from the Sahara deal and the Peugeot saga, we now have the Mango Gate scandal."

"Contrary to established procedure and without reference to the Forest Plantations Development Fund Board, the Minister of Lands and Forestry authorised expenditure of 3.2 billion cedis from the fund for the importation of mango seedlings from Burkina Faso."

Mr Bagbin the contract for supply was awarded to Messrs Agrovets Limited without going through due financial administration regulation procedure, while there was no tender held and the seedlings were procured at 15,000 cedis per seedling when same could have been procured! at almost half price of 8,000 cedis if procurement had been by competitive tender.

He said the urgency, which was stated as the reason for by-passing laid down procedure was not reflected in the distribution of the seedlings, which left a large number of the seedlings to go bad or overgrown, resulting in financial loss to the state, adding that the timing of the importation was wrong since September/October was the dry season in Ghana.

"Despite exposure by the media, President Kufuor has made no move to investigate the deal. The Minister remains at post while Mr Tsatsu Tsikata stands charged for exactly the same reasons, guaranteeing a loan to Valley Farms without board approval."

He said government has suppressed a report indicting the Tema Municipal Chief Executive for causing financial loss through the award of contracts without proper procedure following an investigation conducted ! almost a year ago by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into the incident as it denied any existence of such report.

Mr Bagbin said "In total violation and disregard of the law prohibiting the importation of over-aged and or right-hand drive vehicles into the country, the NPP administration did not only allow the importation of over-aged and right-hand drive buses into the country but with impunity, acquiesced in their operation on Ghanaian roads."