The
Public Accounts Committee of Parliament has asked the Minister of Health, Alex
Segbefia to cause the arrest of the Transport Officer of the Ghana Health
Service for not complying with the procurement Act in the Procurement of a car
dealer for a vehicle hire purchase scheme in 2011. The Chairman of the
Committee Kweku Agyeman-Manu gave the directive when the Ministry of Health and
its Allied agencies appeared before the Committee to answer questions relating
to the financial issues raised in the Auditor General’s report for the 2011,
2012 and 2013 financial years.
The
officer in question who was earlier spotted at the public hearing suddenly
disappeared from the room before the issue was raised. The Director General of
the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyirah not knowing that the
transport officer was not present asked that he be called to answer the
question only to be told that the officer was out to attend to natures call.
The Ghana Health Service procured 332 Great Wall Pick-ups vehicles valued at
ten-point-four Million Ghana Cedis under a hire purchase agreement with
Auto-World without adherence to the provisions and regulations of the public
procurement Act. This, the Chairman of the Committee observed is a grave
violation of the law and the officers involved should be made to answer for
their actions.
The
Minister of Health pleaded for mercy and time for the Officer to come before
the Committee to explain circumstances that led to the procurement of the 332
vehicles.
The
Chairman of the Committee after listening to the plea of the Minister asked
that the Ministry to bring the transport officer before the committee in its
subsequent appearance at the committee’s meetings. According to the Director
General of the Ghana Health Service, the Procurement officer who chaired the
committee that considered the procurement of the vehicles is on retirement. He
told the committee that the case is presently before Economic and Organized
crime office,EAOCO.
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