Confiscation of "state-owned" vehicles: P.V. Obeng comes clear

Confiscation of "state-owned" vehicles: P.V. Obeng comes clear

The chairman of the government transition team, Mr P.V. Obeng has stated that government would apologise to persons whose toes have unwittingly been stepped on in the course of the transition process.

He described as an isolated case the reported confiscation of “state-owned” vehicles which were allegedly being re-registered by some ex-government functionaries, at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

“A lot of things are going right. The transition is proceeding in a very good and amicable environment; and it is just a pity that this development about the cars is beginning to sound everything is going wrong,” he regretted.

Mr Obeng called into Joy FM's news analysis programme News File to “clear the air” on what, perhaps, had been speculations that former government officials had been involved in mass re-registration of state-owned vehicles.

The government transition chairman said he has already summoned the government assets committee and all stakeholders involved in the registration exercise to resolves the issues.

“And I believe that we will be able to put in place a mechanism that will ensure that these aberrations don't occur to embarrass anybody,” he stated.

He doubted the possibility of any wrongdoing on the part of former government officials whose vehicles were impounded at the offices of the DVLA.

Mr Obeng stated that any such registration exercises required notes of authorization from the previous owners of the vehicles, without which registration could not be done.

“I don't exactly know the administrative process that accompanied the sale to the officials that are in question,” he stated but said the government transition team would apologise if there was any administrative lapse which may have led to the confiscation of the vehicles at the DVLA.

Chief Kufuor also "embarrassed"
At least a former deputy minister (name withheld) and Chief Kufuor, son of former President John Agyekum Kufuor, were victims of a raid conducted by state security personnel detailed to the DVLA in Accra on Friday, to confiscate vehicles which were allegedly being given private labels although state-owned.

Secretary to the government transition team Alex Segbefia confirmed the seizures but served notice that the vehicles would be returned to their owners if they were found not to be state assets.

Joy News investigations however indicate that Chief Kufuor's four-wheel drive which was impounded was returned to him last night. The President's son confirmed he had only been taking the car, which belonged to his uncle, to the DVLA for a renewal of its MOT certification.

Story by Fiifi Koomson