SFO Pounces On DCE

Disregarding the concept of "zero tolerance for corruption" instituted by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, the Wenchi District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr. Joe Danquah, has got entangled in a scandalous act when he nicodemously took full possession of two cashew-processing machines meant to serve a cashew farmers' association in Banda Ahenkro in the Brong Ahafo Region.

The machines worth ?54 million, approved by the district assembly under the Village Infrastructure Project (VIP) which was funded by the World Bank between 1999 and 2000 mysteriously could not get to its destination as Danquah assumed ownership of the machines and kept them under heavy lock at his hometown, Sabiye in the Wenchi district.

Chronicle learnt that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) caused the arrest of the DCE when it became obvious that the machines were with him after being forced to Sabiye, his hometown where he opened a door to one of the rooms at his residence to reveal the machines.

The exposure became evident, Chronicle can reveal, after Banda Ahenkro community waited in vain for the installation of the plants when operators of the machines had already been trained awaiting its installation.

Members of the Banda Ahenkro community became peeved as other beneficiaries in the district had had theirs already installed.

This led to a search for the machines by the community who were later informed of the whereabouts of the machines and a subsequent report made to the SFO to investigate the crime.

Information reaching the Chronicle indicate that, government and the donor agency agreed that assemblies in all the 110 districts across the country should approve applications forwarded by communities who meet the criteria for the project.

The criteria included the cohesion of groups and their optimum aim of dealing with groups who could pay back the value of the facility.

However, the Wenchi district assembly received applications from Banda Ahenkro, Sabiye and other communities in the district for which that of Banda Ahenkro was approved by the assembly that is responsible for facilitating the procurement of the facility.

According to sources, the DCE wanted to divert the machines from the original owners to a different group for reasons only known to him, as he is very much aware that the machines were meant for the Banda Ahenkro community.