[ 2016-07-20 ]

GHS3.6m bus branding refund: GII wants answers
The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) has called
for more answers from the government over the bus
branding scandal involving Smarttys Management and
Production Limited, despite the government
refunding the full GHS3.6 million to the Petroleum
Fund.

The company earlier this year refunded some
GHS1.5million in compliance with a directive from
the Chief of Staff upon the recommendation of the
Attorney General who had conducted investigations
into the matter following public outcry about the
contract sum used for the rebranding of the 116
Metro Mass Transit buses.

On Tuesday, July 19, the Public Interest and
Accountability Committee (PIAC) disclosed that the
proceeds from the petroleum revenue, which were
used for the bus branding, had been refunded in
full.

But speaking on the Executive Breakfast Show on
Class91.3FM, the Executive Director of GII, Linda
Ofori Kwafo, said the repayment was inadequate,
adding that government needed to provide more
information to the public.

“…You say the money has been refunded, but
‘Has Smarttys paid back the money to the
state?’ is the question we should be asking,”
she said. “Secondly, if the money was refunded
by the state, from where to where?”

“Government has put the money back, the
component of the oil money. … Where did the
government get the money back, because the money
has been spent? Smarttys have taken their portion.
If government is paying the money back, then it is
sort of an admission that there was misapplication
of funds.

If there was a misapplication of funds, which
public official is being held responsible for this
act? Who is going to get punished for this? The
Smarttys deal, it was the minister who resigned.
Who else in the ministry did something wrong? Who
did the overpayment? Who issued the cheque? Who
signed the cheque? Who are the people responsible
that we never hear from them?

“The Auditor General’s report year in and
year out is full of misapplication of resources.
It happens every year because nobody is being
sanctioned, except those who have stolen goats…
but those who engage in big-time corruption in
this country, you never see them being
sanctioned.”

Source - classfmonline.com

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