?5.2bn Paid To Ghost

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Felix Dokutse-Peteye Abbey

A GHOST is said to be among the recipients of judgment debts doled out by the Mills Administration, with the dead man reportedly receiving an amount of GH?525,600 (?5.256 billion).

Nene Ogbe Assumeng II was captured by the 2010 Auditor-General?s report as the recipient of the money as compensation for land acquired by the state for the Asutuare Sugar factory.

However, Nene Assumeng apparently died over six years ago, raising eyebrows as to the actual recipient of the money when the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sat yesterday.

Felix Dokutse-Peteye Abbey, a nephew of the late chief, told the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament that his uncle died about ?six to seven years ago? and he could not have received the money in 2010.

Incidentally, another family had been paid a total amount of GH?2million as compensation for the portion of the state acquired land.

The PAC is currently probing circumstances that led to the liability incurred by the state, which had been captured in the Auditor-General?s Report on Public Accounts for the year 2010.

According to Mr. Abbey, he was installed as the substantive head of the Ogbe Assumeng family after the death of his uncle, indicating he had no knowledge of the money.

One Peter Kornor had been named by the Auditor-General?s department as the lawyer who acted as the solicitor of the Assumeng family with regard to the said compensation.

Consequently, the Albert Kan-Dapaah chaired PAC suspended hearing on the issue to pave the way for more investigations to uncover the recipient of the cash.

African Automobile Grabs?1.36 billion

In a related development, officials of the African Automobile Limited, which is at the center of the controversial galloper vehicles, also appeared before the PAC in connection with an amount of GH?8.37 million, which the company received in 2010 as judgment debt.

A director of the automobile company, Jihad Hijaz, was at the PAC hearing, together with Addo Atuah and Harrison Teye, the company?s solicitor and accountant respectively.

The accountant, Harrison Teye, told the parliamentary committee that a total amount of ?1.36 billion was awarded to the company as judgment debt.

According to him, ?739,038,454 out of the amount was in connection with vehicles the company supplied to the office of chief of staff between 1995 and 1997, whilst the remaining amount was for spare parts and repairs of vehicles of 17 ministries, departments and agencies.

However, the PAC members were at a loss as to how and why a judgment debt of ?1.536 billion could gallop to over ?80 billion.

Responding, the accountant indicated that servicing of the vehicles was done from 1980 and therefore accumulated interest was calculated from the 80s.

 Addo Atuah, AAL?s solicitor, told the committee the calculation was done based on the evaluation of an independent referee on the goods and services provided by his clients.

His clients, he indicated, got default judgment because even though the Attorney-General filed an appearance, the state did not enter defence.

The PAC adjourned sittings to reconsider the matter soon.

By Awudu Mahama

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