[ 2017-05-26 ]

The protesters clad in red and black wielding placards with various writings

Adom FM’s ‘Y3gye y3 sika’ demo attracts over 2,300 protesters
A modest protest to petition anti-graft agency,
Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) over
some alleged embezzlement of state funds attracted
over 2,300 protesters, police have said.

The Friday protest led by Adom FM’s Morning Show
host, Captain Smart, was to trigger an
investigation into some cases of malfeasance in
the fourth Republic.

Mr Smart told Israel Laryea on Joy FM’s Midday
News, the agitation was not targetted at any one
particular regime.

“We are looking at all the administrations under
the Fourth Republic,” he said.

He noted among the 310 documents presented to EOCO
officials over the financial irregularities, was
one about an appointee under former President John
Kufuor’s administration.

“We presented a document on Professor Kassim
Kasanga [former Lands Minister] during John
Kufuor’s time when he took $14 million,” he
said.

The protesters clad in red and black wielding
placards with various writings marched through the
principal streets of Accra to the EOCO office near
the Arts Centre.

Their messages coalesced into one loud message
that the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
government should prosecute former government
officials found to have stolen from the state.

Already, there have been cases of alleged
mismanagement and embezzlement of state funds by
appointees of the past National Democratic
Congress (NDC) government.

At least three people at the National
Communications Authority (NCA) have been cited for
allegedly embezzling over $4 million in a murky
deal with an Isreali company to supply
intelligence equipment. They include the former
Board Chairman, Eugene Baffo-Bonnie and former
CEO, William Tevie.

Also the Executive Director of the Public
Utilities and Regulatory Commission (PURC), Samuel
Sarpong is under investigation by the Bureau of
National Investigation (BNI) for some questionable
payments.

The amount of GHS435,087 is said to have been
transferred into Mr Sarpong's account in two
tranches.

PURC Director of Public Relations, Nana Yaa
Jantuah was also accused of conniving with the
Executive Director over the questionable payment.

Mr Smart said the nation’s debt totalling
GHS127.1 billion would not have accumulated if the
money was not stolen by some of the former
government appointees.

He said the embezzled money cited in the 310
documents that were submitted to EOCO should be in
the region of $1.2 billion. This, he said is
enough to pay the country's outstanding debt.

"We are expecting EOCO to take further action,
reinvestigate, arrest and prosecute where
necessary. We told them after three months and if
we don’t see anything there will be further
action," he said."

Source - Myjoyonline.com

... go Back