Ex-DCE Dares Incumbent DCE

...over ?400m misappropriation issue.
THE FORMER District Chief Executive (DCE) for Dormaa, Nana Kwadwo Boateng, has dismissed the threat of prosecution issued against him by the current DCE, Mr. Emmanuel Duku, for allegedly misappropriating more than ?400 million during his tenure of office.

"I have nothing to fear. I have nothing to refund. As far as the records show, my hands are clean," Nana Boateng said in an interview.

Boateng said he was shocked and dismayed by the baseless allegations levelled against him by the current DCE of the Dormaa district.

"I am shocked because the allegations can affect my life and reputation for the worse, for there is no grain of truth in those allegations. I am shocked and dismayed because the Dormaa state deserves a higher level of performance," remarked Boateng.

He was reacting to a publication on the Politics page of the Daily Graphic of April 19, which quoted the current DCE as saying that the district assembly is to prosecute him if he failed to refund within one month, the more than ?400 million he allegedly misappropriated during his tenure of office.

The allegations were also carried by the Ghanaian Times of April 15.

Boateng said the allegations are only meant to tarnish his hard won reputation and erode the good work he did for the district, which the current DCE is unable to match.

Reacting to an allegation that he failed to supply 523 litter bins to the assembly even though they had been paid for, Boateng explained that the decision to acquire the litter bins was taken by the assembly to ensure improved sanitation in the towns and villages.

He said the assembly made the necessary arrangements for delivery of the dust bins and if they have not yet been delivered, it is the duty of the current administration of the district to ensure that the supplier delivers them immediately.

Boateng said it is not true that when the assembly approached him to produce receipts for various items he bought for the assembly totalling ?349,584,968, he was able to produce receipts covering only ?26,298,000.

He said the assembly had never approached him on any such matter.

According to Boateng, management of the assembly worked as a team and whatever item was purchased or whatever project was executed had been thoroughly discussed before the appropriate action was taken.

He wondered how Duku could ask him to refund ?62.4 million for using bricks for pavilions instead of sandcrete blocks.

He said the assembly took a decision to start a pilot programme using bricks for some pavilions, and it worked as they were found to be cheaper and durable.

The former DCE debunked the allegation that he took away a fax machine belonging to the assembly while leaving office, explaining that the said fax machine was his personal property.

He called on the DCE to take interest in the development of the district instead of trying to cover up for his non-performance.

"I wish to advise the DCE to refrain from ridiculous and sinister designs calculated to destroy me and rather concentrate on completing projects, which I initiated during my short tenure of office for improvement in the living conditions of the district.

I should be the first to congratulate him if he is able to perform so well that my own performance pales away at the end of his tenure of office.

"I hope he will be able to resist any temptation to indulge in crude political tactics, which is an exercise in futility. For my part, I pray that the people of Dormaa district will be allowed to form their own opinion about both of us," concluded Nana Boateng.