Probe GNPC 'Day Light Thievery And Corruption' - NDC MP Asks Akufo-Addo

Member of Parliament for Bongo Constituency in the Upper East region, Hon. Edward Anambire Bawa is asking the NPP government to initiate investigations into the purchase of a property valued at $7.5 million by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).

He says the purchase did not follow due process.

"Our investigations have further revealed that the property was not purchased but was leased to GNPC," he said.

Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he explained the amount for the property is $9.5 million and not $7.5 million as made to believe.

"There was suppose to be a committee and the deal approved by parliament before purchase, but parliament never heard of it until the said purchase.

"The president should investigate this day light thievery and corruption," he added.

Edward Bawa, who is a former consultant to the GNPC, added that the GNPC boss erred by not seeking parliamentary approval before the purchase.

“They started spending money when Parliament has not approved of it," he told Okay FM. 

"Technically it is wrong because per the law, we have to approve of the expenditure before you spend it.

Secondly, this particular process did not go through the normal process of procurement.

"I do understand that for GNPC because of the fact that sometimes they have very high procurement activity, they have always indicated that their threshold for not going into the tender process is because of the fact that for them every small expenditure is in the millions of dollars,” he said.

But Dr. K.K. Sarpong has insisted that the deal was transparent.

In an interview on Accra-based Joy FM he said, “I had been connected with Global Haulage, but I must tell you that the transaction is above board, all valuation reports by relevant agencies went through the board of directors [and] the board of directors’ sub-committee on properties looked at it and recommended [its suitability] to the board,” he said.

According to him, he was not involved in negotiations for the deal because of conflict of interest concerns.

“Because of my experience [and] knowing that I have been related to Global Haulage, I never took part in the negotiations, and even the vendors themselves found it very difficult getting me to help them with the transaction,” the GNPC CEO stated.