The probe concerned her alleged misappropriation of the Commission’s Endowment fund, for which she was asked to proceed on leave.

[contextly_sidebar id=”PnWySafSyGYOdz3yAnuws8j5b2kC9n6K”]Mrs. Amankwah was one of three top EC officials investigated by EOCO over the alleged disappearance of GHc480, 000 from the Commission’s Endowment Fund.

The loss of the GHc 480,000 prompted the EC Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, to ask the Commission’s Deputy Chairperson in-charge of Finance and Administration and the Finance Director, Dr. Joseph Kweku Asamoah, to proceed on leave.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, her lawyer, Kwabena Asante Krobea, first argued that the fact the EC Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, was not compelled to proceed on leave because she also faced allegations, was unfair.

Some staff of the EC had petitioned President Nana Akufo-Addo to dismiss Charlotte Osei for alleged malfeasance surrounding the supposed awarding of some contracts unilaterally in service of cronyism.

“…If EOCO is saying that a complaint of the usage of the endowment has been leveled against our client and for that matter, she had to proceed on leave, then, for the same Chairperson [Charlotte Osei] that made that complaint, similar allegations have been made against her by staff of the commission, but rather, she at the moment, is at post working whilst our client is at home,” Mr. Asante Krobea said.

Since then, Mrs. Amankwah’s team has written to EOCO, but to no avail, and they are beginning to suspect some foul play from EOCO.

Mr. Asante Krobea suggested that someone may be pulling the strings at EOCO because from what they are gathering, “the investigation has been concluded and as we expected, nothing untoward or no other charges have been made against our client because we knew our client was going to come out unscathed.”

But he said they remain aggrieved because “their client [Mrs. Amankwah] is at home not knowing when she will resume work.”

Mr. Asante Krobea said Mrs. Amankwah abided by the directive out of respect for the law as they did not expect the investigation to drag, but given the unsatisfactory developments, a court action could now be on the table.

“If in the pursuit of their function, we think that they are not acting fairly, we can invoke the requisite reliefs to seek redress for our client and very soon, if we do not hear from EOCO, they will hear from us,” he warned.

He however noted that, EOCO indicated that a response to them is ready, which they plan to receive sometime next week because Mrs. Amankwa has traveled out of the region.

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Deputy EC Chair threatens to sue EOCO appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

But the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu revealed that “EOCO is investigating the project that installed the MRIs in the hospitals that are not working. They have not completed their investigations so we haven’t gotten any report from them yet.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”XkFMd8RmR9lghX7OoPYKspp1mDcl4qru”]Citi News reported about these breakdowns and how they are negatively affecting health delivery at the Korle bu Teaching Hospital and the 37 Military Hospital.

Patients are now compelled to access such services at private clinics that ordinarily charge exorbitant fees.

The Minister also noted said “about five or four” of the MRI machines installed across the country that were installed are not working.

“There is one in Ho. The Cape Coast one was donated by Presidents Mills’ efforts to get an MRI here and they didn’t finish installation and the thing was down and they haven’t used it before. There is one in Kumasi and I think it works and breaks off and things like that.”

He noted that the MRI machines were all part of a “very big” loan facility that was taken to retool hospitals in the country and “that is what EOCO is investigating.”

Checks on the ground

The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital’s Medical Director, Daniel Asare, confirmed to Citi News that their MRI Machine has been out of use for the past four years.

“I have reported it to the parliamentary select committee and to the Minister. The minister himself has come to see it and now EOCO has taken over. What we are demanding is that we need a brand new machine.”

He felt the thing was a shoddy job and “we didn’t get value for money and the company must be taken on.”

Citi News checks at the Volta Regional Hospital in Ho also indicated that it does not have a working MRI and CT scan machines.

–

By: Joseph Ackon Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post EOCO investigating broken MRI machines nationwide – Minister appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He was speaking at the 2013 Annual General Meeting of BOPP at Takoradi.

Mr. Yamson said in 2012, the company recorded profit after tax of GHC13. 41 million and the 2013 profit was a decline of approximately 57 per cent as compared to that of 2012.

He attributed the fall in performance was largely due to the declining world market price of palm oil and lower production volumes resulting from accelerated replanting programme and high inputs cost.

Mr. Yamson said during the year under review, world market price of crude palm oil decreased from an average of 1,012 United States dollars in 2012 to 853 United States dollars in 2013, representing 15.7 per cent drop in dollar terms.

He said the total palm fruits processed during the year under review was 89,329 metric tonnes, representing a 3 per cent decline compared with 2012.

According to him, the replanting and erratic rainfall patterns over the last couple of years contributed to the low crop volumes.

Mr. Yamson added that during the year under review, the company purchased 47,749 metric tonnes of fresh fruit bunches at a total cost of GHC9.9 million from smallholders and out grower farmers in its catchment areas in particular and the Western and Central Regions in general.

He added that the combined effect of reduced crude palm oil and palm kernel prices, as well as crop production volumes, resulted in a 13.2 per cent drop in turnover over the previous year.

Source: GNA

The post BOPP records GHC5.81m profit in 2013 appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.