An Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) report has exonerated the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, Prof Mawutor Avoke, and other principal officers of procurement and management breaches.
The Report which investigated some six persons in all, however, indicted the Chief Technical Officer for the Ghana Revenue Authority, Winneba Office, Lawrence Lamptey, for willfully causing financial loss to the state. There’s more in the following news desk report.
The Efutu Member of Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin in May 2017 petitioned EOCO through the Education Minister, Mathew Opoku Prempeh, with 13 allegations against some principal officers of the University.
The officers included; former Vice-Chancellor Prof Mwautor Avoke, former Registrar Akwaah-Mensah and Former Head of Finance Ar. Theophilus Senyo Akorlie.
EOCO, in addition to the three investigated officials, also questioned a former VC for the University, Prof. Akwasi Asabere Ameyaw, the Winneba Area Manager for Ghana Highways Authority, Mensah Bedie, the Authority’s Chief Technical Officer also for Winneba, Lawrence Lamptey.
The investigations concluded that the University complied with the provisions of the Public Procurement Authority Act as amended in its award of contracts to Sparkx Ghana Limited for five distinct projects.
Similarly, it concluded that the University followed due process when it selected Paa Badu Construction Limited for the construction of a 2000-Bed Hostel and another to C-Deck Limited for the construction of a clinic extension at Winneba as well as a Basic School at Kumasi.
This is contrary to Mr. Afenyo-Markins allegations that the Officers did not follow the due process in the award of the contracts.
EOCO in its September 13, 2019, report, also notes that there was no evidence to establish any act of impropriety against the Officers for a 3 percent on investment paid to the management staff of the University.
It also dismissed Mr. Afenyo’s allegation that the University failed to use national competitive tendering in the purchase of 8 pick-up trucks which cost the Institution eight hundred thousand Ghana cedis.
Other allegations, however, EOCO concludes were unfounded, baseless and untrue.