Acting Managing Director of the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), Sammy Gyamfi, has described the recent disappearance of containers containing electricity cables belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) as “criminal negligence” arranged by what he termed “enemies of the state” within the company’s former leadership.
Speaking on Joy News, Mr. Gyamfi held previous ECG managers responsible for failing to exercise due diligence and allowing corrupt procurement practices to flourish culminating in the loss of the containers.
“This is a clear case of criminal negligence by enemies of the state in the previous management at ECG,” he said.
“The facts show ECG had no actual need for the quantities of cables they kept importing. No organization especially a limited liability company should consistently exceed its procurement plan by 200%, 300%, or even 400%. It simply defies logic and suggests people stood to benefit from the mere award of these contracts.”
Mr. Gyamfi further argued that the contracts underpinning the importation of the missing cables violated Ghana’s procurement laws, dismissing ECG’s justification that it was exempt due to its status as a limited liability company.
“The ECG itself has admitted that none of these contracts were awarded in accordance with the Public Procurement Act,” he stated. “They cite a legal opinion not addressed to them and ignore the fact that exemptions must be expressly granted by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) which they never obtained.”
He added that other public officials had faced serious consequences for similar breaches, citing the National Communications Authority case and the dismissal of a former Electoral Commission chairperson over procurement violations.
“This is not just administrative failure. What has occurred is totally criminal,” Mr. Gyamfi stressed, urging the state to pursue legal action against those found culpable.
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Source: Benjamin Hutchful/ATLFMNEWS
