Section 92(1) of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) as amended provides that: “Any person who contravenes any provision of this Act commits an offence and where no penalty has been provided for the offence, the person is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding two thousand five hundred penalty units or a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years or to both”.
Therefore, following the petition submitted to the Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) by the son of the upright peasant farmer, it is no longer the question of IF but WHEN the outgoing Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu, and soon to be former Board Chairman of the Ghana Water Co. Ltd. (GWCL), Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, would take his rightful place at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons, where Abuga Pele is patiently waiting to welcome him.
The wanton and blatant violation of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) as amended, is so rife at GWCL since the assumption of office of Afenyo-Markin as Board Chairman to the extent that, any lay person can identify the said alleged breaches.
Contracts at GWCL are allegedly being awarded at a speed faster than the records set by Usain Bolt, to cronies, girlfriends, and foot soldiers of Afenyo-Markin. The massive create, loot and share, currently ongoing at the GWCL, is unprecedented in the history of this country.
It is the expectation of a section of the Ghanaian public that, the OSP would undertake a meticulous investigation into the award of all contracts at GWCL and thereafter, bring charges against all officers at GWCL and any other person found to have condoned and connived in any procurement violation at GWCL.
It is provided under section 92(2)(a) of Act 663 as amended that, the following shall also constitute offences under this Act: “Entering or attempting to enter into a collusive agreement, whether enforceable or not, with any other supplier or contractor where the prices quoted in their respective tenders, proposals or quotations are or would be higher than would have been the case had there not been collusion between the persons concerned”.
It is apparent that the above section of Act 663 as amended was breached, when the board of GWCL, superintended over by Afenyo-Markin, ignored the lower quotation of Sunbabsco Ltd., thus GHS 2,240,505.00 for the supply and installation of transport pump control panel and additional items in respect of Takoradi pump house at Inchaban headworks, and awarded the said contract to Intermec (Gh) Ltd., at a whooping price of GHS 14,801,971.50!!
Ghana lost a colossal sum of GHS 12, 561,466.50 in this single contract! Incredible!! And Afenyo-Markin has the guts to accuse nobles of corruption?
For the avoidance of doubt, a series of petitions to other credible State investigative bodies and more revelations of the rot at GWCL, are expected soon.
See the attached ‘cooked’ agreement between GWCL and Intermerc (Gh) Ltd. for confirmation of the alleged theft of over GHS 12million from the State through the manipulation of the procurement processes at GWCL.
Alhassan Salifu Bawah
(son of an upright peasant farmer)
