The previous management of the Microfinance and Small Loan Center (MASLOC), has disclosed that there was no formal contract signed between MASLOC and GPRTU for the 350 vehicles purchased under their administration in their name.
According to them, the executives of GPRTU agreed on the contract verbally without any written contract.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Saturday, Former Deputy CEO for MASLOC, Mustapha Abubakar, said his administration only signed a contract with the vehicle supplier MAC Auto & Spare Parts but not with GPRTU.
[contextly_sidebar id=”BfsWcdaQLjhK55P6WW49QFwbWpRQ6WZ9″]He explained that the leadership of GPRTU had expressed satisfaction with the vehicles, and had given MASLOC the assurances to purchase them.
…they were satisfied with it, invoices were given to them and we also had some, we all worked on it. And once everything was settled even though the contract had not been signed, we signed the contract with MAC Auto & Spare Parts, but we have not signed the contract with GPRTU yet. And so the handing over was done after they had gone to inspect [the vehicles]. The handing over was done at the Parliament house.”
Mr. Abubakar said during the handing over ceremony, the chairman of the GPRTU, who is currently raising concerns, was present with his team to receive the vehicles together with his regional representatives.
“…And so once they received it and thanked John Mahama and MASLOC for the gesture, you ask yourself what has gone wrong because they were aware of the prices that were being given to them.”
The former MASLOC CEO said for the buses “we gave [it to] them at GHc380, 000 which was about GHc94,800 [each].”
“[For the Chevrolet] Aveo and the [Chevrolet]Spark Light [it] was around 6,500 and 5,500 – those were the figures we gave them. They agreed, they communicated to us and were ready to take the vehicles. They gave us their word,” Mr. Abubakar added.
350 vehicles too expensive
MASLOC is currently in the news for procuring some 350 vehicles meant for the GPRTU members but were rejected by the transport union because it was said to be “too expensive.”
MASLOC was established primarily to provide micro and small loans for start-ups and small businesses to enable them to grow and expand.
In the past few years, it has been involved in the sale of cars on credit to individuals and groups including Members of Parliament, musicians and celebrities; however, it is challenged with retrieving the monies owed it.
Some have viewed it as a business that ends up rewarding political party members.
The management of MASLOC has so far confiscated 350 of such vehicles, and is currently in the process of retrieving the monies believed to be over GHc100 million.
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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin