Dr. Hanna Bissiw-Kotei, the newly appointed Administrator of the Minerals Development Fund, has accused Kwabena Kufuor, nephew of former President John Agyekum Kufuor of offering her a $10,000 bribe in an attempt to silence her regarding an allegedly inflated office rental agreement worth $1.4 million.
The office space in question, Dr. Bisiw-Kotei claims, is owned by Mr. Kufuor.
In an interview on Metro TV’s Good Afternoon Ghana with Kwasi Afriyie, Dr. Bissiw-Kotei revealed that former administrators had been paying $9,600 per month in rent for the office space over a span of 12 years.
Describing the office as merely “a cubicle,” she expressed shock over the cost, especially considering the poor state of the facility. “Our directors had to keep their files on the floor due to a lack of drawers and cabinets,” she said.
She further pointed out that a nearby, more upscale location in the same area rents for approximately $6,500 per month, highlighting concerns over the inflated rental cost.
“We had staff we couldn’t pay, communities we couldn’t serve, and vehicles with expired insurance and DVLA documents,” she lamented, highlighting how the excessive rent payments diverted much-needed resources from critical operations.
Dr. Bissiw-Kotei stated that she did not accept the bribe. “I took the money and reported it. So the money is there,” she emphasized.
She has since raised serious concerns about financial mismanagement and corruption under previous leadership and affirmed her commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in the Fund’s operations.
