The Minority Caucus in Parliament has strongly condemned the government for making a payment of $2 million to Africa Investor Holdings Limited, a firm in Mauritius, for the Accra Sky Train Project, without obtaining the necessary parliamentary and public procurement approvals.
The Caucus also highlighted that the government has invested over $20 million in equity for the Accra City Pullman Hotel project, despite no visible progress on-site for almost two years.
During a press briefing in Parliament, the Minority Chief Whip, Governs Agbodza, criticized the government for what he described as reckless public spending and called for an investigation into these financial losses.
He questioned the procedures followed before authorizing the payment to the firm, stating, “Before the company even began feasibility studies, someone in the government had already decided to pay $2 million to this entity. Earlier this year, Joe Ghartey said the government was not going to fund the sky train project, so what was the $2 million payment for?”
According to the Auditor General’s report, the company did not possess the necessary license to operate the intended system. This raises concerns about the government’s decision to provide funds to the company. Agbodza further questioned who authorized the payment and expressed that it was incorrect to make such a decision. He suggested that these actions indicate the presence of organized crime, carelessness, and recklessness. He urged the Auditor General to demand a refund from the company.
In summary, the Minority Caucus in Parliament has criticized the government for making a payment of $2 million without proper approvals and has called for an investigation into the matter. They raised concerns about the decision-making process and questioned the rationale behind the payment.
Source – citinewsroom.com
