One of the Ministry of Health (MoH) officials who was alleged to have defrauded the state to the tune of GH?646,000 has challenged the Economic and Organized Crimes Organization (EOCO) who is investigating the alleged crime to process him for court if he is found culpable.
Mr. Christopher Kofi Eleblu who was a former Director of Internal Audit together with the Director of Administration, Mr. Robert Azumah, and Head of Estate, Mr. Michael Kyere-Yeboah were accused of defrauding the state to the tune of GH?646,000.
Meanwhile, he described the whole allegation and news publications of his involvement in any of such crimes as a grand scheme being put together by the Member of Parliament for Tongu North and Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary Education, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to discredit him before his constituents who have confidence in him to assume the Parliamentary responsibility for the next 4 years and beyond.
In a Ghanaian Times Publication on Friday, August 28, 2015 it was reported that the three officials and Ben Atsu Eleblu, a businessman have been arrested by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) over the alleged offence.
According to the said publication, the officials have forged documents and engaged in corrupt procurement processes and willfully caused financial loss to the state, and are facing prosecution at the High Court (Financial Division).
?The charge sheet from the Attorney-General?s (A-G) Department intercepted by The Ghanaian Times indicated that the syndicate perpetuated the crime from 2008 until they were busted through investigations conducted by EOCO,? the publication stated.
The publication also indicated that an internal memo dated July 9, 2008, was submitted to the then Minister of Health, the late Major Courage Quashigah, by the Director of Administration .
The memo proposed for a planned periodic maintenance work on 52 training institutions under the ministry, but the contracts were not advertised and were awarded to Anvalex, Dansy, Mantosa, Betyros and P-Takon Enterprises in accordance with the approved proposal.
The paper went on to report that, an advance mobilisation fees of 50 per cent of the annual charge for the first year in 2008 was to be paid to the entities and alleged that the 50 per cent of the contract sum totaling GH?647,000 was paid by Mr. Michael Kyere-Yeboah, the Head of Estate at the ministry via the ministry?s payment voucher as advanced mobilisation fee for the 52 maintenance contract awarded.
??.Investigations revealed that although these payments were made, maintenance works were not carried out in some of the institutions and in some cases, a few of the training institutions were non-existent,? the prosecutor said.
Setting the record straight
Setting the record straight in an exclusive interview, Mr. Christopher Kofi Eleblu, described the said publication in the Ghanaian Times as frivolous and lacks credence revealing that in 2008, the late Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah engaged the services of some contractors to do periodic maintenance work on 52 training institutions under the ministry.
Both contracts and Agreements were signed between the Ministry and the Contractors and job orders given to that effect, he said.
Christopher Eleblu also said that, various amounts were charged by different contractors per the job each was to execute on quarterly basis; hence the first contract was signed on 1st September 2008.
He added that advance mobilisation fees of 50 per cent of the annual charge for the first year in 2008 was paid to the entities fee for the 52 maintenance contract works awarded after each contractor provided bank guarantee.
Mr. Eleblu maintained that the claims by people as per the publication that he played major roles in the whole procurement process were false.
According to him, the only role he played was an advice he gave to the Chief Director who gave him (Eleblu) the agreement by hand and asked him to study it and advice.
?So what I did was, I also read the agreement, saw it was good and advised him verbally,? he said.
Mr. Eleblu averred that during the early part of 2009, after a change in government, an article appeared in the Democrat Newspaper citing them for fraud. He said the Democrat publication at the time, sought to create the impression that he together with other officials connived with some contractors to award contracts and no work was done.
?On 18th June 2009, National Security wrote to EOCO to investigate the alleged crime,? he recounted, and said since then investigations have been ongoing and several invitations have been extended to him, all of which he duly honoured.
Christopher Kofi Eleblu said he has since not known peace as EOCO failed to prosecute him but continue to haunt him with invitations and questions which he believes would not help the cause of justice.
He is challenging EOCO to process the matter for court if indeed they have found him culpable of the offence in the interest of the state.
?You see, during my first encounter with EOCO, they told me what I did when I advised the Chief Director on the agreement was conflict of interest. When I asked why, they told me because the one who got the contract was my brother,? he narrated.
Suspicion
Mr. Eleblu who is contesting Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in the North Tongu Constituency said, the turn of events gave him reason to believe that Okudzeto Ablakwa is behind the whole orchestration.
According to him, although he (Eleblu) lost to Okudzeto Ablakwa in 2012, he is back in full swing to win this time round. This, he said is sending shivers down the spines of Ablakwa who now sees him as a difficult nut to crack in the coming primaries.
???? that is why he is executing his game plan. His popularity has grown to less than 20% in North Tongu and this is a headache to him.?
?Ablakwa is hot. He is pulling all these strings to scuttle my moves, but this time he won?t have it easy. I was reliably informed that Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa swore to make sure they jail me before the elections. This is one of his plans,? he said.
Mr. Eleblu said all along, EOCO charged them for over four times but failed to prosecute them for court.
In view of this, he is calling on EOCO and all agencies that matter to do the people of Ghana good stop the witch-hunting and process them for court for justice to prevail.
?I believe in our justice system and think the best place where criminal matters such as this can be buried is at the courts. My daily prayer is to see this matter taken to court,? he called on EOCO.
Mr. Christopher Eleblu finally called on his constituents and delegates to ignore the publications that he has been arrested over fraud, asking them to pray that the matter goes to court for justice.
?I can assure them that I am ready for Ablakwa, I am not disturbed at all and my people should also not be disturbed. All I have to say is that I do not appreciate what EOCO is doing. EOCO must ensure that justice is done in the interest of all,? he charged.
By; Prosper Agbenyega
