Corruption allegation rocks Ghana government

By PANA on Saturday, 26th September 2009

Ghana’s President John Evans Atta Mills has instructed the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Betty Mould-Iddrisu, to request for detailed information from the United Kingdom following the conviction in a London court of a UK company which pleaded guilty to making corrupt payments to some Ghanaian officials in the 1980s and 1990s during the administration of former President Jerry Rawlings.

A statement signed by the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, John Newman said: “President Mills has instructed the Attorney-General to request for detailed information from the authorities in the UK about matters that have now resulted in the conviction. This is to inform a course of action on the matter to include investigation in Ghana.”

The statement repeated the commitment of President Mills to ensuring the highest standards of integrity, probity and transparency in the conduct of public officials, including he (the President) himself.

The court ruling on Friday named several Ghanaian politicians as having once received bribes from a British construction firm, Mabey & Johnson, in the 1980s and the 1990s.

The company pleaded guilty at the Southwark Crown Court in London to charges of corruption and violating sanctions, paying Ghanaian government officials a total of 470,000 pounds sterling in bribes.

Dr George Sipa Yankey, Minister of Health, Mr Kwame Peprah, former Minister of Finance and Dr Ato Quarshie, former Minister of Works and Housing were mentioned as having received money from the company.

Dr Quarshie is said to have taken a cheque for 55,000 pounds sterling in 1995 whilst Health Minister Dr Sipa Yankey, who was then a civil servant at the Ministry of Finance, reportedly received a total of 10,500 pounds sterling.

Other persons including Mohammed Seidu took 5,000 pounds, Edward Attipoe received 10,000 pounds and Alhaji Sidique Boniface, Minister of Works and Housing under President John Kufuor, who was then a civil servant at the Ministry of Finance, took some 500 pounds sterling for school fees.

The company is said to have lobbied the government officials through one Kwame Ofori whose influence had waned as at 1996.

The UK-based company is said to have executed three contracts totalling 26 million pounds. The company has so far agreed to make reparations to Ghana as well as the government of Jamaica which it allegedly tried to influence to be able to secure public contracts.

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