[ 2017-05-23 ]

Former Board Chairman of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Alhaji Amadu Sorogho

Spio Garbrah should be commended for GSA scandal investigations - Sorogho
A former Board Chairman of the Ghana Standards
Authority (GSA), Alhaji Amadu Sorogho, says former
Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Ekow Spio
Garbrah, acted promptly when an anonymous whistle
blower wrote to him about allegations of fraud and
bribery at the authority.

He said Mr Garbrah instructed the board of GSA to
initiate investigations into the allegations which
involved the former Executive Director, Dr George
Crentsil on the grounds that he received a
$1.2million kickback from a contractor.

In a radio interview with Accra based Class FM
Tuesday evening, Alhaji Sorogho argued that Mr
Garbrah should be commended for initiating the
action even though the whistle blower was
anonymous.

Dr Crentsil, according to a Joy FM report has
admitted receiving the money from the contractor,
Lemet Construction Company, a company, which was
contracted to construct a new training school
block for the GSA in Accra at about Gh¢15.2
million.

The contractor is however yet to complete the
building project due to lack of funds, a situation
that compelled the board of directors to question
the contractor and the GSA boss.

The GSA is said to have awarded the GHc15.2
million contract in July 2012 to Lemet
Construction Company to build a new training
school and hostel facility for the authority in
Accra.

Reactions

Speaking publicly on the matter for the first time
since reports emerged that the issue was not
reported to the transition team, neither was it in
the transition notes, and by so doing, the NDC
administration wanted to cover up the matter,
Alhaji Sorogho said Dr Garbrah should be commended
rather and that it was not his intention to cover
up.

He explained it was not in the transition notes
because the reported was handed over to Mr Garbrah
on his last days in office.

He explained that the GSA board and the Dr Gabrah
got wind of the said ‘kickback’ through an
anonymous letter someone wrote to the minister.

He said the minister received two anonymous
letters, in which the latter contained about 18
allegations and that the said anonymous author did
not write his name, address, contact details or
appended his or her signature on the said letter.

Investigations

Alhaji Sorogho explained that the allegations made
in the said anonymous author compelled Dr Garbrah
to sanction a four-member committee to investigate
the matter through the board.

He said further that the findings from the
committee, however, came late, as the previous
government was preparing to leave office for the
current administration.

Asked about whether the said money went to the
former GSA boss, Alhaji Sorogho declined to talk
about that but said the public must commend the
minister for the bold decision he took in finding
out the truth in the said allegations contained in
the said anonymous letter.

Source - Graphic.com.gh

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