The claim that former Chief Executive of Microfinance and Small Loans Centre Chief Executive Sedina Tamakloe Attionu inflated contracts to procure vehicles for the GPRTU by 22million cedis may have just been exposed as unsubstantiated and untrue by the evidence before an Accra High Court.
Current CEO of MASLOC Steven Amoah who has used the contract signed in 2016 to accuse his predecessor of corruption, was forced to beat a retreat under cross examination from Mrs Tamakloe Attionu’s lawyer who put the allegation to strict proof using documents tendered in court.
Ironically, the documents came from the office of Mr. Amoah and are evidence of payments made to the supplier for the vehicles in question.
Mr. Amoah had in several media interviews alleged that the contract his predecessor signed with Mac Autos on 6th December 2016, to supply MASLOC with 350 vehicles comprising 150 Chevy Aveo Saloon, 100 Chevy Sparklite and 33-seater Isuzu buses could have be procured for a little more than half the contract sum of over GH¢62million.
He further claimed investigations showed that the unit price of GH¢74,495 ($18,883.39) offered MASLOC by Mac Autos for the Chevy Aveo was far higher than the actual retail price of GH¢47,346.93 ($12,009.91) quoted by the same outfit for the same model within the same time period.
The MASLOC Boss also insisted the Chevy Sparklite could have been bought at a retail price of GH¢35,918.37 ($9,104.77) instead of the unit price GH¢65,095.00 offered to MASLOC, whiles the Isuzu 33-seater buses offered at the unit price of GH¢445,560 ($112,942.96) had a retail price without duty of GH¢293,877.55 ($74,493.67).
This, the MASLOC CEO claimed in media interviews was enough evidence to conclude that the contract sum was inflated by about some 22 million cedis.
The claim of Mr. Amoah however sharply contradicts the evidence before an Accra High Court hearing the matter.
Evidence before the High Court shows that Mr. Steven Amoah’s administration has so far paid MAC AUTO an amount of GHC 61,735,833.50.
The difference between the monies so far paid to MAC AUTO by the Steven Amoah administration and the contract sum of GH¢62,239,750 is GH¢503, 916.50 instead of the 22 million cedis Mr. Amoah has claimed in his interviews.
When evidence of the payments from his office was put to Mr. Amoah by lawyer Agbesi Dzakpasu who is representing his predecessor, he reluctantly admitted but claims the difference was rather GH¢700,000.
It also emerged that Mr. Amoah’s office with authorization from the Chief of Staff made the payment in two tranches instead of the three tranches spread over three years agreed in the contract.
Mr. Amoah also admitted signing a contract for procurement of 1800 second hand Fiat Panda cars form Dextro Impex Limited for which he issued a letter of comfort.
He however claims the contract with Dextro Impex has been abrogated due to pressure from the media but the contract was still tendered in court.
Story by: Radiogoldlive.com
