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General News of Tuesday, 30 March 2010

Source: Daily Guide

Mills Man Runs Away

DEPUTY CHIEF of Staff, Alex Segbefia must be licking his wounds following his inability to defend Carl Wilson, sacked Chairman of the Confiscated Vehicles Allocation Committee.

Mr. Segbefia, who had vehemently jumped to the defence of Carl Wilson and consistently called for proof to allegations that the latter was the head of a car-stealing syndicate, has been silent since President Mills sacked Wilson last Thursday, in spite of calls that he (Segbefia) too must be removed.

Ordinarily, the Deputy Chief of Staff would have been all over the place, clearing Carl Wilson’s mess; but not even calls by National Democratic Congress (NDC) gurus for his removal will compel him to make any comment.

The last NDC activist to call for his head is Alhaji Iddrisu Bature, who says for soiling his fingers in the scandals that gripped the government, the most honourable thing for Mr. Segbefia to do is resign.

Alhaji Bature, who was speaking on Asempa FM’s ‘Ekosii Sen’ programme on Friday, said he has proof that the Deputy Chief of Staff indeed colluded with Carl Wilson to forcibly take over vehicles legitimately imported into the country by a business man.

Giving the name of the car dealer as Al Wahab, Alhaji Bature said in spite of the fact that the importer produced evidence that the cars were legitimately bought, with duties paid accordingly, Mr. Segbefia still refused to release the vehicles.

The three vehicles, a 2009 model American Dodge, a 2009 Nissan Murano 4-wheel drive and a 2007 Toyota Camry were impounded since May 2009. And even though duties had been paid, and the cars were obviously not stolen, as claimed by Castle officials, they have vamoosed into thin air.

According to him, not even several interventions from Vice President John Mahama, National Security Advisor Brig. Gen. Nunoo-Mensah and the Head of Communications at the Presidency, Koku Anyidoho, for the cars to be released to the man, could make Mr. Segbefia and his side-kick Carl Wilson budge.

He finds it strange that Mr. Segbefia would remain in office when the person he appointed and vehemently defended has been sacked.

“I call on him to resign honorably or be pushed out by the President”, he sniped, calling the bluff of Alex Segbefia, whom he claimed has threatened to expose him (Bature) over a RAV4 vehicle duly allocated to him by the government.

He said he (Bature) was instrumental in bringing Mr. Segbefia into the NDC just recently, and as such has every right to call for his resignation if his actions are tarnishing the reputation of the government.

The victim, Al Wahab, later told Bobiee, host of the ‘Ekosii Sen’ programme that he saw the two vehicles being washed at the presidential washing bay of the Osu Castle, but several efforts to retrieve them have proven futile, adding that he has subsequently taken the matter to court.

NDC insiders have hinted that a lot of beans could be spilled if Mr. Segbefia and Carl Wilson decide to open the can of worms on the matter.

According to unconfirmed reports, the likes of Lt. Col. Atachie; Military Assistant (MA) to the Chief of Staff, and Colonel Lawson; head of Castle cars, would have questions to answer as several seized cars have been seen in the hands of military personnel, setting tongues wagging at the Burma camp.

For now, Mr. Segbefia is yet to speak although several media outlets have been calling his phone and that of his sweet-voiced secretary to no avail.

DAILY GUIDE had earlier published several reports on the Carl Wilson/Alex Segbefia car confiscating saga after reports emerged that over four hundred vehicles have been virtually taken away from the Tema Port for free as National Democratic Congress (NDC) operatives abuse a lose chit system at the facility using the name of the Presidency or the National Security Council to cart away confiscated cars.