How NDC Blew $700k To Witch Hunt

…Mpiani & Tarzan


It has emerged that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government then led by the late President Mills blew over US$700,000 in a wild goose chase to see to the possible incarceration of former Chief of Staff, Kwadwo Okyere Mpiani and Charles Yves Wereko-Brobbey, for their involvement in the organization of the Ghana@50 celebrations.
In their desperate determination to get the two high profile NPP officials caged, the NDC administration through a Sole Sourcing venture contracted a company known as the Professional Group (GHANA) to aid them achieve their objective.
The latest expose indicate clearly that the National Democratic Congress administration was hell bent on finding incriminating evidence for the prosecution of the former Chief of Staff during the Kufuor administration and the former Chief Executive of the defunct Ghana@50 celebrations.
To achieve this, the NDC government doled out a whooping US$686.000(Six Hundred and Eighty Six Thousand United States Dollars) to the Professional Group to “provide professional support to the Government in investigating cases bordering on financial loss and economic crimes” concerning Mr Mpiani and Dr Wereko-Brobbey.
GO over the weekend intercepted a correspondence between the Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Ebo Barton-Odro and the Finance Minister where the former forwarded the invoice submitted by the Professional Group for onward payment for their services.
According to the Contract For Services documents which this paper has sighted, Mr. Barton-Oduro on 7th October, 2010, wrote to Professional Group and told them that: “As you are aware, Messrs Kojo Mpiani and Charles Wereko Brobbey were arraigned before the High Court for prosecution. However, they were discharged by the High Court and this office has initiated processes to appeal against the decision of the High Court. In the circumstances, I request that you conduct further research and investigations into the matter to enable us update our docket.”
The contract, which was signed on behalf of the Group by one E.D Manful, also stated that US$2,000.00 (Two Thousand United States Dollars) would be paid “for each day spent by the Consultant on work assigned to it by the client (Government)”.
Mr Barton-Odro in his letter dated April 26, 2012 to the Finance Minister stated, “I am forwarding to you an invoice submitted by Professional Group (GHANA), with respect to services rendered in the provision and procurement of Jubilee Toilets and sampled Souvenir for the Ghana@50 celebrations”.
“Their invoice in the sum of US$686.000.00(Six Hundred and Eighty Six Thousand US Dollars) payable in cedis at the prevailing rate is being forwarded to you to effect the necessary payments”, he added.
It is instructive to note that, the receipt of the US$686.000.00 by the Professional Group who are mainly Accountants and Financial Consultants, specializing in investigative audits, has ballooned government expenditure on the same company in two transactions to over US $I million.
Another receipt of money for a different transaction presented by Professional Group (GHANA) was the over US$300,000.00 paid by government in the infamous Isofoton saga.
It would be recalled that it is the same Professional Group who was charged by the state to investigate the judgement debt claim against the state by the Spanish company Isofoton SA.