A former presidential staffer in the former John Mahama administration says if there was anything untoward about the Saglemi Affordable Housing project, the one to answer for it is Enoch Teye Mensah, a former Housing Minister.
According to Stan Dogbe, if any person is to be prosecuted regarding financial impropriety about the project, it should be Mr Teye Mensah.
The former Ningo Prampram MP, who is currently a member of the Council of State, was the Housing Minister when the contract for the Saglemi Housing project was signed.
E. T. Mensah’s successor, Collins Dauda, is currently facing charges over the project.
The Asutifi South MP has been charged by the state for causing financial loss in the housing deal.
Mr Dauda, who supervised the initiative when it was approved by Parliament, has also been charged with intentionally misapplying public funds.
In the particulars of offences, he is said to have intentionally misapplied $200 million.
Mr Dauda has said he is innocent, explaining that he has all the documents to prove that the Finance Ministry expended the funds.
Speaking on the issue, Mr E. T. Mensah has expressed surprise at some comments regarding the Mahama administration’s handling of the controversial Saglemi Housing project.
The former Sports Minister speaking to the host of Good Evening Ghana on Metro TV, Mr Mensah, said anyone who claims the $200 million loan agreement did not cover ancillary works on the project does not know what they are talking about.
On whether the project was to be executed in stages, he said such a statement is a lie.
“It is a lie…It was not [to be built] in any phases. We knew that we wanted to build 5,000 houses for workers, and it was approved…executive approval was given, and parliament approved it, so if I wanted to change something, I had to go through the same process again,” he said.
But reacting to the comment on Facebook former presidential staffer Stan Dogbe disagreed.
According to him, his review of the documents all signed by Mr E. T. Mensah, if anyone should be prosecuted, it should be him.
“Upon my review of documents available to me, on the matter of the Saglemi Housing project, which agreement including the EPC and Works Contracts were all, and I mean all, signed by the then Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Enoch Teye Mensah, I can safely conclude and say that if indeed there’s been any untoward conduct, loss of funds to the State, or a legally reasonable reason to prosecute anybody in relation to that project, then the person the Attorney General should be prosecuting is Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, the then Minister.
Any act that requires prosecution or financial loss for that matter is the result of his actions and decisions, and signing of the agreement.”
