Military probes Army Chief over car gift

A vehicle donation made to the Army for operational purposes has landed the Chief of Staff at the General Headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier General Sampson Adeti, in trouble.

The former General Officer Commanding (GOC), Southern Command of the Ghana Army, is under investigations by the Military High Command for his alleged usurpation of a brand new Nissan pickup donated to the Army.

The missing pickup is said to be causing anxiety among soldiers who have taken to social media to lambast their commanders, eroding the espirit de corps among the forces.

The donation was made to the Southern Command by the Bank of Ghana when General Adeti was the GOC before his new appointment.

Following a publication of the story by 'Daily Guide' a little over two weeks ago, which rattled the military high command since the said vehicle was not allegedly captured in the inventory of the Southern Command, the military administration swung into action by ordering an investigation into the allegation.

The 'Daily Guide' report which triggered the probe stated that the One-Star General failed to follow the procedure for receipt of donations to the Ghana Armed Forces: it was detected that in his handing-over notes to his successor, he did not include the said vehicle – a procedural breach. The donation was not included in the Part 10 Orders in consonance with military demands, suggesting that the Army chief was up to something.

A DVLA transfer document also showed that the General, who processed the transfer, used his house number and personal mobile phone numbers, a deviation from the standard.

The DVLA documentation reads among others: Postal Address HQ Southern Command Kpeshie Ridge, Teshie, Residential Address 20 Juba Villas Burma Camp, telephone number 0244312698.

When DAILY GUIDE called on him at the General Headquarters, he said the vehicle, with registration No. GN 4240-15 was given to him by the Bank of Ghana in recognition of his singular services he rendered to the institution.

He also said that the vehicle was at the premises of the General Headquarters and therefore available for inspection.

Senior Colonels were handicapped over the shortage of vehicles, a situation which he said he had addressed so far.

A top official of the Bank of Ghana denied that the vehicle was donated to the Brig General because according to him, the bank does not give to individuals but to institutions.

A General was detailed to conduct an investigation into the subject matter, an assignment which took him to the Bank of Ghana and the offices of Daily Guide.

The General spent two days cross-examining the Chief News Editor of Daily Guide on the issue.

Following the report, other media outlets picked it up for further dissemination and the social media was awash with the plaintive remarks by the soldiers – a development which the military high command is taking very seriously.

They took exception to the anomaly which, according to them, leaves much to be desired.

A correspondence dated 2nd June, 2016 from the Bank of Ghana and addressed to the General Officer Commanding the Southern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces headlined, ‘Re: Performance Of Security Duties-Bank of Ghana Locations,’ reads: “I write this as the Head of Security Department following our verbal discussion in my office yesterday, 1st June 2016.

“First of all, let me congratulate you on your assumption of office as the General Officer Commanding Southern Command and hope that the existing cordial relationship between your Command and the bank will continue to grow from strength to strength.

“Before I narrate some of the Bank of Ghana’s corporate social responsibilities for communities and institutions and individuals and the state security agencies, I wish to state that the Central Bank of Ghana is bound to be protected statutorily by the state’s security agencies as the government bank.

“Under the constitution in the Bank’s Act 2002 (Act 612), individual troops have no direct benefit or benefits from the Central Bank of Ghana. In the same vein, the bank does not charge for services rendered to any state security agency or government department.

“However, the bank under its financial regulations pays an allowance or ration to the guards or troops of any security agency that renders any statutory service for it. Besides, the Bank under its corporate social responsibilities gives support in cash or in kind to the institutions or security agencies or the unit that provides troops for the protective and safety service for it.

“As requested, the only tangible support from the bank that comes to mind is one brand new Nissan hard body double cabin pickup with registration number GN 4240-15, which was donated to your Command on the 18th September 2015 to boost the morale of personnel and also to enhance our relationship.”

A summary investigation can be ordered in the military or alternatively a Board of Inquiry (BOI).