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09.12.2010 Business & Finance

Chief Executive of GIPC denies wrong doing

09.12.2010 LISTEN
By GNA

December 09, 2010 Accra, Dec. 9, GNA - Mr George Aboagye, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) on Tuesday denied media reports that he had compromised his position by accepting an incentive package from Tema International Hotel.

"I wish to emphatically state that I have not received any monies from anyone in connection with the Tema International Hotel or any other hotel for that matter in relation to the granting of incentives under the Tourism Law LI 1817," he stressed.

In a reaction to the media about the report he said:

"In both stories, Mr Andrew Okai Koi, the husband of "Mrs Zita Okai Koi was alleged to have demanded various sums of money totalling GH¢ 10,000.00 to influence GIPC officials to clear items imported by the Tema International Hotel."

He said Mr Okai Koi was not known to the GIPC as a representative of Tema International Hotel - he does not own any shares, neither is he a director of the company. Also, Mr Isaac Kumodze is not known to the GIPC as a representative of the company.

"The Chief Executive Officer of the GIPC has not met Mr Okai Koi on any business/official transaction. He has also neither known nor met Mr Isaac Kumodzie," he said.

Mr Aboagye said the hotel registered with the GIPC to engage in its operations, which included a casino and applied for approval and award of the applicable incentives and benefits under the Tourism Law- LI 1817.

"The application was not in good order and Tema International Hotel was advised to properly prepare and re-present it once more which it did on 11/12/09.

"The application was then forwarded to the inter agency committee for consideration where it was passed and approved on 24/12/09."

He said the Minister of Tourism wrote to the GIPC requesting for exemptions on some items that were not included in the company's approved list of items.

"Since the said items were not included in the initial application of the company, the minister was advised in a GIPC letter dated 13/10/10 to further advise the company to submit an application through the Ministry of Tourism to submit an application for the approval of a supplementary list of items needed by the hotel for its operations.

"As far as the GIPC is concerned, action has since been taken by the applicants on this matter.

"In order to ascertain the authenticity of the allegations, we have invited officials of Tema International Hotel, Mr Isaac Kumodze and Mr Andrew Okai Koi to a meeting at the Centre to further assist in our investigations into the matter," he said.

GNA

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