Auction at CEPS Yard in Tema is chaotic - Witness

Accra, Aug. 14, GNA- Mr. Bernard Quao, an auctioneer, testifying at the Justice Glenn Baddoo Committee, on Tuesday, described the conduct of auctions at the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) yard at Tema as chaotic.

The Witness, who said he did some auction work for the CEPS between April and May of this year, said the CEPS deviated and did not as normal attach the list of items that were to be auctioned to the contract letter given him.

Also, instead of a typed copy of the reserved price, the value at which the owner of a property wants it sold to be auctioned, being given in advance, he was given such on handwritten paper, sometimes illegible, in a minute or two before the auction began.

"Mr. Chairman, I observed a number of things I've never faced before", Mr. Quao, who said he had done the work of an auctioneer since 1987 told the four-member committee, which has been sitting in Accra since last week.

The Finance Minister, Mr. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, last July inaugurated the four-member committee, with a one-month working period, and chaired by Mr. Samuel Glenn Baddoo, a retired Supreme Court Judge, to look into alleged malpractices of the operations of CEPS, and offer recommendations to improve the Service.

According to the Witness, a customs official Madam Millicent Akpo-Teye, a CEPS official, who was to supervise the auction, postponed the auction for the first day without any advance notice. "Each time we were going auction, she gives me the list a minute or two before we start the auction. So, up to that time, I did not know what was to be auctioned... I realized it was not the normal thing. This continued till the fourth time, but if I ask her, she tells me this the normal thing." Mr. Quao said he subsequently wrote to the CEPS Commissioner, Mr. Emmanuel Doku who promised to invite Madam Akpo-Teye to make available the list, but the auction still continued with the list and he subsequently decided to go along with the auction without the advance list.

" At one time when I wanted the list of items, Madam Millicent postponed the auction and angrily told the people that I was being difficult. Within this period, I took advantage to get back to the Commissioner to tell him of my grievances." Witness said the Commissioner gave him audience and promised to have a meeting with all auctioneers.

Witness disagreed with Counsel for Madam Akpo-Teye, Mr. Yao Yegbey in a cross-examination that he was bearing Madam Millicent a grudge and had brought the evidence against her because his application for re-appointment as auctioneer for CEPS was not granted.