A leading member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) whose name has popped up in the supposed ‘filthy deals’ uncovered at the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) Limited, Dr. Amoako Tuffour, has denied any involvement in the alleged malfeasance.
Dr. Amoako Tuffour is alleged to have attempted bribing some staff of the company who have petitioned the Special Prosecutor over the supposed corrupt dealings, acting on behalf of the Metro Mass Managing Director, Bennet Aboagye, to be able to extract evidence from those the MD believes are “blackmailers.”
[contextly_sidebar id=”3d7AmW8KuM4rm8IwjFTyYcfchPx4Kc3T”]But Dr. Tuffour told Citi News’ Sixtus Dong Ullo that he is not connected to the operations of the company, and that he was only acting in the interest of truth.
“I don’t know about any shady deal because I don’t work with Metro Mass Transport. Secondly, I don’t do any business with them. So I am not involved in any so-called shady deal.”
“What I am involved in is that one Lawal went and broke into the MD’s office and installed a recording device. He shows up after months that he has records of recorded messages on the MD. And also when he got to meet me, he told me that he has messages on ministers and the president. And I got interested, so my strategy was very simple—either I hand him over straight to the police, in which case he may not come back with all the truth, or I can cajole him gently, get whatever information that I need and give it to the presidency.”
When asked why he didn’t allow the security agencies to handle the case. Dr. Tuffour said he failed to do that because if “you play funny games with him like that he will go to the grounds and varnish.”
Background
The MMT’s Security Coordinator, together with other unidentifiable persons petitioned the office of the Special Prosecutor to investigate alleged procurement malpractices for the purchase of some 300 buses.
Some workers of MMT have petitioned the Special Prosecutor to investigate Mr. Aboagye over what they describe as “filthy” deals being transacted in the company.
According to the petition, signed by one Mr. Lawal, who is said to be the Company’s Head of Security, the Managing Director, is in collusion with some top officials of the Company to secretly purchase 300 new buses and electrical products, and sell off MMT scrap buses.
The petitioners say they subsequently “planted a third ear at some strategic locations with the hope of having firsthand information about what the MD, his assistant and some key players in this scandal do, say and planned to do, and the revelations uncovered are mind-boggling.”
“The third ear revealed among others, malpractices involving the intended purchase of 300 buses from China…the purchase of electrical products, the sale of MMT scrap buses among others,” the workers added in the petition.
They also claimed that Mr. Aboagye, however, tried to bribe them to the tune of about GHc60,000 to have the recordings and transcripts destroyed.
I’m being blackmailed
But in a swift response, the Managing Director of MMT, Bennet Aboagye, dismissed the allegations.
He insisted that Mr . Lawal had tried extorting about $1 million from him with the pretence of being a negotiator between him [Aboagye] and the alleged blackmailers.
Mr. Aboagye said he quickly informed his lawyer, Dr Amoako Tuffour, who advised him to inform the Bureau of National Investigations [BNI].
“Dr Amoako wanted us to bait Lawal, so he proposed that instead of Lawal’s initial demand of $1 million, we should make an offer of GHc20,000.”
He said after several meetings, Mr Lawal told them that the supposed blackmailers had agreed to accept GHc40,000 and hand over all the recordings and the “supposed third ear.”
“All this while, Lawal was trying to portray that he was only playing an intermediary role and that he was innocent and rather intervening on our behalf. According to him, it was a group led by one Bawa which was behind this deal. It is important to note that, the said Bawa once called Mr Kessie on the phone and threatened him to pay the money, else, he would regret the consequences of failure to comply,” Mr Aboagye said in a memo sighted by Citi News.
We breached no rules in procuring 300 buses- MMT
The Corporate Communications Manager at Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMT), George Krobea Asante, insists the company went through the right processes in procuring some 300 new buses.
Speaking to Citi News’ Umaru Sanda Amadu, Mr. Krobea Asante, however indicated that MMT had so far not breached any law in the procurement of buses for the company.
“The procurement department so far as I am concerned has not breached any procurement process. However, if anybody is in doubt, they can come, we will show you documents that will confirm that we have gone through the stages and we have not breached procurement processes.”
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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin
