Accra: The Minority in Parliament has formally petitioned the Special Prosecutor, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and the Criminal Investigations Department to probe an alleged contract awarded for the renovation of the old Bank of Ghana office.
According to Ghana News Agency, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority Caucus stated that the contract allegedly awarded by the Ghana Gold Board to Mr. Stan Dogbe, a Deputy Chief of Staff, was fraught with irregularities and breaches of established procurement processes.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday, Mr. Anthony Mmieh, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Odotobri, insisted that the matter must be thoroughly investigated to ensure accountability. He emphasized the significance of addressing the alleged irregularities to uphold the integrity of the procurement system.
'We presented petitions to these three agencies, to conduct an immediate investigation into the contract that has been awarded to Stan Dogbe by the Gold Board. We are of the view that there were several irregularities as the laws governing the awarding of contracts were not followed,' he said.
Mr. Mmieh further expressed concerns about potential financial losses to the government if the irregularities are confirmed. He stressed the importance of an investigation to determine the validity of the contract and ensure that any illegalities are addressed according to the law.
He highlighted that if the procurement was not conducted properly, it would not be acceptable by law. 'You cannot permit sole sourcing and if that has been done, then the entire contract must be abrogated,' he added.
Mr. Mmieh indicated that all three investigative agencies had acknowledged receipt of the petition, and the Caucus had copies of the acknowledgement. He urged the agencies to conduct their investigations promptly and report back with their findings as soon as possible.