More Heat On DCE, Over ?800m Withdrawal

THE ALLEGED corruption and mismanagement that has engulfed the Sefwi Wiawso District Assembly in the Western Region of late has taken another dramatic turn, following fresh allegations.

Both the DCE, Mr. Kofi Ahenkorah, and his District Co-ordinating Director, Alhaji Ishaq Asuru, are alleged to have withdrawn a whopping sum of ?800 million and ?4 million respectively from the assembly's accounts without the knowledge and approval of the executive committee of the assembly.

Chronicle investigations revealed that the said ?800 million was paid to the assembly accounts which they have lodged with the local SSB Bank by the Lands Commission as royalties but the two accused persons, without informing the concerned sub- committee, went and withdrew the money and used part to buy iron sheets, among other items, which they allegedly distributed to some of their favourite chiefs.

In the case of the ?4 million, Chronicle investigations established that the District Co-ordinating Director, Ishaq Asuru, singlehandedly signed the cheque at the time Kofi Ahenkorah was about to assume duty as DCE and later presented it to the bank to withdraw the money which further investigations revealed belonged to Hon. I.K. Ofori, MP for the area.

It is not his personal money but his share of the MP's Common Fund. Chronicle also learnt that under the relevant laws governing the District Assembly, before the Chief Executive takes any major decision, especially the distribution of the Common Fund and all monetary affairs, he has to consult with the assembly's various sub-committees where the issue would thoroughly be discussed before implementation, where possible.

Chronicle undercover investigations at some slum areas in Sefwi Wiawso, the district capital, revealed that ever since the DCE assumed office, he has in most cases not been following the simple instructions, thus sparking off seemingly unending misunderstandings between him and majority of the assembly members.

It was also discovered that the disputed ?800 million, which Mr. Ahenkorah allegedly withdrew from the assembly's accounts, became known to most of the various sub- committee members after he had used part of the money to buy iron sheets for some of the chiefs in the area.

According to Chronicle sources at Sefwi Wiawso, the withdrawal of their ?800 million without approval was one of the reasons why the assembly had decided to pass the no confidence vote in him, which has unfortunately found its way into the law courts.

"Desirous of demonstrating our full support for the government's declared policy of zero tolerance for corruption and also having realised the need for our District Assembly to build a collaborative partnership with the Central Government in combating corruption in the country by taking swift action to stem any corrupt and dishonest practices that may come to our notice we do hereby resolve that the assembly commences immediate proceeding for the removal of Kofi Ahenkorah as our DCE," the eighteen assembly members stated in their earlier resolution.

When Chronicle contacted both DCE and his Co-ordinating Director at the former's office at Sefwi Wiawso about a week ago, they confirmed the withdrawal of the money and the subsequent buying of the roofing sheets for the chiefs, but said the amount was not ?800 million but "a figure that was close to that."

According to the two, since it is not easy for any District Assembly to calculate the amount it would be receiving as royalties, it is always difficult to budget for it.

The DCE, however, contended that when the money was released to the assembly, he did hint the members in his sessional address.

"It would therefore be wrong for anyone to say that he was not informed," he added.

On the ?4 million that was withdrawn from the MP's share of the Common Fund by Alhaji Ishaq Asuru, the District Co-ordinating Director, without the former's knowledge and consent, Alhaji Asuru said the MP was informed immediately the amount was withdrawn.

He explained that Hon. I.K. Ofori instructed the assembly sometime ago to pay for a ?10 million drainage project he initiated at Amafia near Wiawso.

According to him it was assembly money that was used to pay for the project which the Hon. MP is yet to pay back.

He further told Chronicle that since the assembly was badly in need of money to execute a certain project, he decided to withdraw the ?4 million from the MP's Common Fund since he is already owing the assembly ?10 million.

When Chronicle contacted Hon. Ofori on phone at his Tema residence last week, he denied ever initiating a project at Amafia to warrant the withdrawal of the money from his accounts which he got to know after the bank had sent his bank statement to him.

According to him, he was only asked by the assembly as a civil engineer to go and study the flooding situation at Amafia and make the necessary recommendations to the assembly, which he did.

"I have already asked them to refund the money because they did not seek my consent before withdrawing it. The project too was not initiated by me as I have heard them say. I am only demanding my money," he told this reporter on the phone.