By Morkporkpor Anku
Accra, Feb. 12, GNA – The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has commenced investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of the operations of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF).
This investigation regards the payments made in respect of Agyapa Royalties Limited; Small Scale Mining Incubation Programme (SSMIP); Quarry Value Addition Programme (QVAP) and Asante Gold Corporation.
Mr Kissi Agyebeng, the Special Prosecutor, addressing the media on ongoing investigations, said the investigation targets were two former officials and two serving officials of the Fund.
Others are ElectroChem Ghana Limited; Lithium Asset (projected lithium-focused exploration and development corporation); Gold Asset 2 (Enchi gold project); all other investments by MIIF; funds expended on the Chairman of the Board of Directors; the operational funds of MIIF; purchase of parcel of land for intended office building; contracts and agreements entered by MIIF; and publications by MIIF.
He said they had also commenced investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of an alleged embezzlement of GH₵1.3 billion from the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) at the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
He said the investigation primarily targets the Coordinator of the UPPF, Mr Jacob Amuah; NPA staff, Freda Tandoh, Wendy Ashong Newman, and a former Chief Executive of NPA, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid.
The Special Prosecutor said it would be recalled that in the last quarter of 2023, the OSP and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department jointly commenced corruption risk assessment and investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of Government Payroll Administration.
He said the assessment and investigation were especially aimed at isolating and removing the names of non-existent, ineligible, and undeserving persons from government payroll and recovering wrongful payments.
He said it was also to investigate unearned salaries, prosecuting persons suspected of being culpable for any offences, and the institution and implementation of internal controls in respect of payroll processing and payment of salaries.
Mr Agyebeng said they further recall that to facilitate the roll-out of the investigation and assessment throughout the country, a pilot exercise was carried out in the Northern Region (covering educational institutions under Ghana Education Service and the Tamale Teaching Hospital) by a joint team, comprising investigators, tracers, and assessors from the OSP and selected staff of the Payroll Processing Directorate of CAGD between December 2023 and April 2024.
He said after thorough investigation, the OSP was now ready to commence the prosecution of persons suspected of having engaged in such conduct.
He said earlier on Wednesday February 12, he directed the Director of Prosecutions at the OSP to file criminal charges at the High Court, Tamale against six persons.
They are Yakubu Tahidu, a former teacher Balogu M/A Junior High School, Yendi, Northern Region, Abdulai Abubakari Sadic, Integrated Personnel Payroll Database Coordinator of the Ghana Education Service, Yendi, Northern Region and Sammy Suuk, Schools Improvement Support Officer for Yendi North Circuit, Northern Region.
The rest are Mohammed Yusif Jay, Headmaster of balogu M/A Junior High School, Yendi, Northern Region, Stafford Korletey Azudey-Barres, Assistant
Chief Accounts Technician at the Controller and Accountant General’s Department, Accra, Greater Accra Region, Osman Issahaku, Headmaster of Balogu M/A Junior High School, Yendi, Northern Region.
He said the main charges were corruption of a public officer and corruption by a public officer involving the manipulation and siphoning of funds designed as fictitious salaries from Government Payroll.
“The identified persons would soon be arraigned before the High Court, Tamale,” he said.
GNA