Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has firmly distanced his administration from a controversial GHS6.7 million payment made to Smart Infraco Limited in December 2023, describing the transaction as one he would not “superintend over.”
The payment, totaling GHS6,755,174.94, was made by the Ministry for a connectivity platform. However, auditors have raised concerns over the transaction, citing the absence of supporting documents, evidence of services rendered, certificates of work done, or any expenditure justification.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Accra on Monday, November 3, Sam George clarified that the payment was made under his predecessor and not during his tenure.
But he emphasised that his ministry has taken steps to ensure accountability and transparency in resolving the matter.
“Just so that the records bear us out, this did not happen under Sam George but at the Ministry by my predecessor in 2023,” he stated.
“We won’t superintend over such action, but we have followed up and NITA, which is the implementing agency on this project, has been asked to submit all documentation. They have submitted the closure of project report to us, which has been forwarded to the Audit Service for verification.”
George added that the Ministry is awaiting the Audit Service’s confirmation. “If they verify the amount, that will bring closure. But if they raise queries, we will need to dig further into the matter,” he said.
Member of Parliament for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku revealed that Smart Infraco denied receiving the payment as captured in the Auditor-General’s report.
According to him, the company argued that the report may have misclassified the transaction, claiming it was related to a different project and not part of the e-government commercialisation contract.
Responding to the development, Minister George reaffirmed his commitment to public accountability. “My fidelity is to the state, not to any company,” he stressed.
“What forms the base material for my decision-making is the Auditor-General’s report, not a company’s rendition or response. If any private company has challenges with the report, they can seek redress in court.”
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