GOVERNMENT STATEMENT ON THE NATIONAL SECURITY REPORT ON INVESTIGATIONS INTO ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE MINISTER OF YOUTH AND SPORTS AND THE OFFER OF THE MINISTER TO RESIGN FROM OFFICE (Full Text)

Investigations by National Security into the allegations against Hon. Muntaka Mubarak, Minister of Youth and Sports, have been completed and a report submitted to the President.

The following could not be established:
* The Minister collected US$2,000.00 imprest for the finals of the 1st CHAN tournament in Abidjan.

* The Minister collected US$10,000.00 for landing rights for the aircraft which took the government delegation to the CHAN finals in Abidjan.

* The Minister personally arranged for accommodation and feeding of the Black Star players in Kenya and Sudan.

* The Minister was paid GHC15,200.00 as refund for meat and food items

* The Minister's wife was allocated VW Passat No. GT 1351 Z.

* The Minister demanded immediate payment of or was paid GHC1,000. per match for the services of a Mallam.

* The Minister requested or collected GHC12,000 for gifts for the Minister's constituency on his last trip to Kumasi.

* The Minister allocated to himself or was allocated five (5) official vehicles.

The following were established:
* The Minister collected a per diem allowance of GHC2,000 for the Ghana-Benin match. This amount was authorized by the Chief Director, Mr. Albert Anthony Ampong, but the Minister had no knowledge of what his per diem for the travel was supposed to be.

* Ms. Edith Zinayela (Secretary to the Majority Leader in Parliament) was part of the Minister's entourage to the finals of CHAN tournament in Abidjan at the expense of the Government. After the delegation returned from Abidjan, the Minister sought the advice of the Chief Director of the Ministry who instructed the Principal Accountant to purchase the ticket for Ms. Zinayela by raising a memo for the purpose.

* The Minister received a letter from the National Sports Council requesting the release of GHC1,410,051.58. The Minister minuted the letter to his Chief Director for the necessary action. The Chief Director presented the Minister with a duly prepared letter for his signature which the Minister signed after being convinced that due diligence had been followed. This amount was not released by the Ministry of Finance to the National Sports Council.

* The Minister requested that arrangement for accommodation and feeding of the Black Stars players in Kenya and Sudan should be done by Tour Operators to enable the Ministry make some savings. This did not go down well with the Ministry officials. The Principal Accountant, Mr. Adim Odoom, and an official of GFA had earlier visited Mali to make arrangements for the Black Stars without the knowledge of the Minister. They were about to do the same for Kenya and Sudan when the Minister found out and ordered them to stop.

* The Minister requested for he and his family to travel to Kumasi by air. The Chief Director endorsed the request by the Minister. The request was backed with a memo. The Chief Director did not advise the Minister that his family was not entitled to these tickets.

* The Ministry refunded to the Minister an amount of GHC674.02 for items the Minister was entitled to as protocol and entertainment. The Chief Director or the Principal Accountant should have vetted the receipt and exempted items which were not allowable. Items like baby oil, baby food and mouth wash should have been disallowed even though they formed a seemingly insignificant part of the bill.



The Minister on discovering that this amount had been refunded demanded to withdraw the receipt but the Principal Accountant Mr. Adim Odoom assured him that everything was in order and that he had paid the refund from the imprest which was normal.

* The Minister's driver presented for refund a receipt for the Minister's household items totaling GHC1,520 and not GHC15,200 as alleged but this amount was never refunded.

* Ms. Edith Zinayela was part of the Minister's entourage to Germany on the invitation of Souito Sports Management Group. Her visa fee was paid by the Ministry.

* Alhaji Abdulai Yakubu (Director of Finance and Administration at the Ministry) authorized a certain payment because the Chief Director was in Tamale and would be away for a week. The accountant objected to his authorization. The Minister directed that the documents be re-routed for the approval and authorization of the Chief Director.

The following were also established:

* Under the close eye of the Minster, savings were made as a result of the payment of graduated bonuses as well as cuts in the payment of bonuses to officials. These monies were returned to government chest and the Chief of Staff was informed in writing. Continued    Source: GNA - Ghana News Agency