Saga of Disappearing Government Vehicles

A LEADING activist of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and also founding member of the Progressive Alliance, Mr. Haruna Agesheka, has finally surrendered a state vehicle unlawfully in his possession after attempting to dribble Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) officials for the past three weeks.

A department of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Agricultural Engineering Services) located off the Giffard Road, near Burma Camp, Accra, had ordered the return of the vehicle three weeks ago.

This was after the department had issued a memo to the office of the Minister of Agriculture, alerting him about a Chronicle story in respect of the vehicle which had strangely found its way into the personal garage of the NDC activist.

The MOFA itself had denied ownership of the vehicle when the Chronicle made contacts with its transport section and an assistant director at the ministry, Mr. Henry Woode.

Both officials had claimed that a vehicle of that make and number did not exist in their official records.

They were also not aware of a donation or handover of the vehicle in question to any individual or group.

The vehicle, a Mitsubishi double-cabin Pick-up, with registration number GV 9214 C, has the original Ministry of Food and Agriculture insignia clearly spelt on its side.

Haruna Agesheka, who claimed the vehicle was given to his non-governmental organization (Ghana Agricultural Products Traders Association - GAPTO), has, however, used a different lettering to inscribe on the vehicle: 'GAPTO, Marketing Dept, Kadmous House, Agbogbloshie.'

The Chronicle learnt hints that the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) was hard on the heels of the activist led to his surrender of the vehicle on Saturday, June 22, this year, after the Senegal-Turkey soccer match.

Agesheka, who is embroiled in court cases facing charges of fraud and forgery, was the deposed secretary of Ghana Agricultural Products Traders Association (GAPTO), and is being represented in court by Mr. Okaidja Adamafio, former Minister of the Interior in the Rawlings administration.

Aghesheka would not comment when Chronicle queried him on how he came by the vehicle, but independent investigations by this paper established that it was given to him by the former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr. J. H. Owusu Acheampong.

Agesheka has since the handing-over on January 7, 2001, refused to send the vehicle back, in spite of the new administration's directive that all state vehicles in individual hands be returned.

The Chronicle learnt last week that the vehicle is on the BNI's list of stolen vehicles and indications are that Mr. Agesheka may soon be arrested to face charges of unlawful possession of a state vehicle.

The vehicle, at the time of going to press, had been parked in the yard of the Agricultural and Engineering Services Department, without the battery, as the NDC activist claimed the vehicle was given to him by the Ministry without one.