Ghana @50 Fraud Revisited: Mpiani and Wereko-Brobbey back in the dock

Fresh investigations into the activities, including financial management at the Ghana @ 50 secretariat, have exposed the fraud perpetrated by the former chief of staff in the Kufour regime, Kwadwo Mpiani and the Chief Executive Officer of the secretariat, Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobbey.

A report put together by a team of investigators who delved into the operations of the defunct Ghana @ 50 Secretariat reveals that monies approved by parliament to finance specific projects were diverted and used for other purposes. An example is the case in which money approved by parliament for the construction of Jubilee toilet project was misapplied.

The findings of the report intercepted by The True Statesman are very damning; they indict both Kwadwo Mpiani and Dr. Wereko-Brobbey, and the state is in the process of putting the two before court for causing financial loss to the state.

The report accuses the two men for various actions, ranging from illegal, careless, negligent dissipation and misapplication of public funds.

The report notes that the Ghana @ 50 Secretariat failed to use appropriate funds to finance fully the cost of completed works on which contract certificates had been issued; the result is that GH¢ 370,313.40 which represents the certified contract works, less mobilization fee paid, is still outstanding.

The contractors are demanding the levying of appropriate interest, and the report says that Dr. Wereko-Brobbey must be held culpable under the Financial Administration Act (Act 654) for diversion of allocated funds to finance other projects which had not been placed before and approved by Parliament.

Dr. Wereko-Brobbey, again, must be held liable under SMCD 140 (2) for the loss of money to the state, arising from the interest to be paid on contractors unpaid amounts which had come about as a result of the careless and negligent manner he handled the disbursement of funds released by Parliament to finance the Ghana @ 50 Anniversary Celebration, demanded the report.

The report states that even though Wereko-Brobbey was aware that Ghana @ 50 Secretariat was not a legally registered entity, he held himself as a representative of the establishment, and entered into a number of contracts with other legal entities.

For example, without a written approval from Cabinet, Parliamentary approval and / or written approval from the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, he entered into a binding contract with Prudential Bank Ltd for a Bridging Loan to finance the Ghana @ 50 Anniversary Celebration.

The report said that Dr. Wereko-Brobbey used ¢176 billion whose approval he was seeking from parliament as a security for loan he was contracting from bank.

The final repayment of the Bridging Loan was made from the Consolidated Fund. By this act, Said the report, Weroko-Brobbey did not comply with Section 48 of Act 654 even though he attached the loan to amount released from the Consolidated Fund.

The report states further that he must be held responsible for having breached provisions as spelt out under Article 181(3) of the Constitution and also the Financial Administration Act, and must be held culpable for the loss of GH¢1,293,985.38 to the state.

In the case of Mr. Mpiani who appointed Dr. Wereko-Brobbey as Chief Executive of the Ghana @ 50 Secretariat and also supervised the late Atiemo, the Chief Director of the Office of the President, as the second signatory to the Bridging Loan Account, the report said that he must be held culpable for the same offence.

“By his act, he is liable by commission and/or omission of all illegal acts that were committed by his self –appointed nominee Dr. C. Wereko-Brobbey,” said the report.

Stay tuned for more anon.
True Statesman
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