National Democratic Congress presidential hopeful Professor Joshua Alabi appears to have opened himself up for further probe, as it is emerging he may have known something about the $72 million software purchased by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT)

Investigations are at the moment being conducted into an alleged fraud which initial figure was $66 million before jumping to the latest. Ghanaians have expressed outrage and are demanding for those behind the scam to be punished.

Professor Alabi, who took over from Kwame Peprah as the board chairman, told Accra based Citi FM the transaction took place before he assumed office, but said it was “value for money” and did not have any reason to abrogate it.

But Mr. Peprah’s office has denied ever paying money for the procurement of the software. In a statement issued on his behalf by aide Justice Opoku Agyeman, Mr. Peprah said he “did not approve the payment of the said amount nor anything close to it.”

He said the board which he chaired came to an end in 2012 and so accusation he knew about the payment is a lie.

“So far as the purchase of the OBS for the trust is concerned, the board to which Mr. Kwame Preprah chaired came to an end as far back as 2012, by which time no payment has been effected.”

Below is the full statement:

FROM: Justice Opoku Agyeman. Aide to Mr. Kwame Peprah (Former Board Chairman SSNIT)

Setting the records straight

It has come to our knowledge, an interview granted the immediate past board chairman of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust(SSNIT) Professor Joshua Alabi, on Citi FM, with regards to the purchase of a $66 million dollar software for the Trust.

I wish to put on record that all information regarding the said software can be found in the various memos to which Mr. Kwame Preprah personally have copies.

It is also instructive to understand that, Mr. Kwame Preprah’s board did not approve the payment of the said amount nor anything close to it.

It is on records that, by the time Mr. Kwame Preprah was exiting office, discussions were far advanced for the purchase of a software to expedite the operations of the Trust.

Prof. Alabi is on records to have said that the board Mr. Preprah chaired approved the transaction and by extension any wrong doing should be attributable to them.

Assuming without admitting that the said argument should be adhered to, doesn’t it raise serious issues bordering on integrity and competence? As a new board chairman, taking over from a previous board, what prevented you from going further after the query to stop the transaction if in the wisdom of the board, of which you were the chairman, it was wrong or smacks fraud? Now, the argument that there were clauses that tied the board to the decision of the previous board is flawed. For heaven sake, don’t we have an Attorney General’s office? Couldn’t we have referred the matter to that office for proper legal advice leading to the termination or otherwise of the transaction? Why is the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ernest Thompson, defending the contract and the immediate past chairman to the board saying otherwise?

So far as the purchase of the OBS for the trust is concerned, the board to which Mr. Kwame Preprah chaired came to an end as far back as 2012, by which time no payment has been effected.

“The board which I chaired did not approve any payment under my watch and have no idea how the payment was effected”.

“Any attempt to push blame with regards to the $66 million dollars payment will be bad fate”.

At the right time, all documents with respect to the software and in connection with the transaction relating to the purchase of the same and in his possession as one time board chairman of SSNIT, will be made available for the consumption of those who care to know.

Let our party rise above hate and pettiness.

Thank you.