The Attorney-General?s Department has stated that nine senior officials of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) who were summarily dismissed by the company for allegedly causing financial loss to the state should not be prosecuted.

They are Mr. Charles Adjei, the former managing Director, Mr. Adjenim Boateng Adjei, the former acting chief manager (materials), Mr. Eben E. N. Amarteifio, Ms Mabel Ofori, Mr. Albert Asamoah and Mr. Eric Owusu Ansah.

The rest are Mr. Michael Kofi Quarshie, Mr. Henry Forson and Mr. George Attah Poku, all of the Central Stores Department of the company. According to a report from the headquarters of the criminal investigations department of the Ghana Police Service, the Attorney General?s department has, after studying the case docket of the accused persons, found out that there has been no embezzlement of money on the part of the suspects. The department said there was no evidence that the nine had in any way benefited.

The attorney-generals department, therefore, recommends that they should not be prosecuted. They have not willfully caused financial loss to the state, it said, adding that ?it appears that they were only doing their job.

On the part of the official?s central stores, the report said in its advice, the AG?s office found out that none of the fabrics was misappropriated and there was no report of loss or evidence of any loss with regard to the fabrics. It added, however that it is probable that the three accused persons teamed up the created an artificial shortage as the committee found out.

According to the report, in the opening of the A-G?s department, their actions do not constitute an offence and therefore do not recommend them for prosecution.

In June 2001, the government set up a committee, under the chairmanship of the Mr. Justice Adade, a retired Supreme Court judge, to probe allegations of causing financial loss to the state by some senior officials of the GWCL.

Based on the findings of the Adade Committee, the GWCL sent a letter of complaint to the police and suspects were arrested. The report mentioned for instance, that in the case of Mr. Charles Adjei and Mr. Adjenim Boateng, they described in detail in their caution statements the procedures for the procurement of stationery and stressed that they made sure that those procedures were followed. It said investigations at the GWCL offices and the central stores revealed that some of the overstocked items were procured long before Mr. Adjei was appointed.