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ECG ‘meter-fraud’: Govt must act quickly!!!

Wikipidia defines ‘fraud’ as wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.

The synonyms for ‘fraud’ include, swindling, scam, hanky-panky, shenanigans, crookedness, embezzlement, deceit, monkey-business and rip-off.

The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) is said to have forwarded a case docket involving an alleged $36 million procurement fraud of electric meters, to the office of the Attorney-General for prosecution.

The $36 million procurement fraud is reported to have taken place in the Republic of Ghana in 2016.
The submission of the case docket to the office of the Attorney-General follows the conclusion of over four good years of investigations into ‘the fraudulent matter’ by the EOCO and the National Security.

Many concerned Ghanaians and institutions have questioned the long delay in the investigations and prosecution of officials involved in the ‘procurement fraud’.

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The fraud was alleged to have ‘germinated’ in September 2016 when L&R Investments and Trading Company, which is incorporated in China, entered into a contract with the Government of Ghana, to supply electric meters to the Electricity Company of Ghana. Reportedly, the contract was to be executed within a period of 26 weeks, and an advanced payment of $12 million was made to L&R Investments plus a Letter of Credit for $24 million.

The 2020 Auditor-General’s Report on state-owned institutions, however, revealed that the meters, which were procured at a huge cost to the state, were abandoned by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) because they were not manufactured to meet the required specifications.

A brief background of the fraudulent deal dates back to September 2016, when the then Ministry of Power wrote to the Managing Director of the ECG , alerting him of a-$40-million financing, secured by the Government of Ghana for the procurement of electric meters.

Reportedly, the letter named Messrs L&R Investments, whose local representatives are Messrs First Grace Limited, to be given the contract to supply the meters.

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The ECG management, upon the receipt of the letter from the Ministry of Power engaged Messrs L&R Investments and their local Ghanaian representatives. After ECG had evaluated the proposals from L&R Investments, a pre-contract meeting was said to have been held in October 2016 between the technical team of ECG and the Managing Director of L&R Investments Company. Reportedly, at that meeting, the scope of supply; technical classifications; due diligence; pilot studies; factory acceptance tests and training of ECG metering staff were agreed upon.

Indeed, the two key conditions before the supply of the meters after signing the contract were; the pilot studies to assess the meters for two months and the factory acceptance tests. Sources, however, say :”The 200 electric meters that were to be provided as samples for the pilot studies were not taken to the ECG and the agreed travel of three representatives from ECG to undertake the factory acceptance tests in China before manufacturing of the said meters , did not take place.”

The Executive Director of the Institute for Energy Policies and Research (INSTEPR), Mr Kwadwo Poku, insists that; “without any of these conditions being met, the management of ECG was sent shipping documents for containers of meters at the Tema Port.” Expectedly, the ECG management notified L&R Investments that they could not accept the meters because the processes agreed upon per the contract had not been followed.

Disturbingly, the meters in the containers were not the specifications as per the supply contract, when the containers were cleared at the Tema Port. According to the Executive Director of INSTEPR, the contract was terminated in 2017 after legal consultations but strangely, the company was able to discount the $24 million Letters of Credit given to them under the contract. “We have sighted documents that state that on the 16th of August 2017, at a time when Capital Bank had ceased to be a bank under the laws of Ghana; Capital Bank discounted the Letters of Credit and made a payment of $22.5 million to L&R Investments”, the Executive Director of INSTEPR, has said.

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For instance, Mr. Kwadwo Poku is asking the following relevant questions: “Why has it taken four years for the state security agencies in investigating this transaction? “Who are the people behind L&R Investments and Trading Company in Ghana? “The initial $12 million was paid to First Grace Limited, their local representatives in Ghana.

Who are the people behind the Ghanaian company? “Why is the management of Capital Bank not being prosecuted for the illegal discounting of the Letters of Credit?” Readers, the initial investigation into the fraudulent electric meter-deal was reportedly carried out by Kroll and Associates; a corporate investigations and risk consulting firm contracted by the government to investigate various transactions under former President Mahama’s administration.

Readers, remember? How Mr Yao Domelovo, the immediate past Auditor-General was angered by the audits of Kroll and Associates, sanctioned by the then Senior Minister, Mr Yaw Osafo Maafo ? The $36 million fraudulent deal was among other deals uncovered by Kroll and Associates.

A lot of well-meaning Ghanaians, however, hold the view that our government has been ‘very slow’ in taking action about this very disturbing fraudulent act. And this column challenges the government to quickly do the needful!!! Contact email/ WhatsApp of author: asmahfrankg@gmail.com (0505556179)

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By G. Frank Asmah

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The Prophet part 2

Some young men queing for visas
Some young men queing for visas

“I can see in the spirit, that some of you have been trading for years without seeing any mean­ingful profits, some young women have been disappointed by men who have either abandoned them and left for foreign lands and forgotten about them, or stopped sending money for the upkeep of their wives and children.

I can see young men who are desperate for visas to travel abroad but have either been duped by visa contractors or refused at the embas­sies. From tomorrow, I assure you, the visas will be given.

Young women, I have news for you. You will receive telephone calls, and you will hear very good news. Handsome young men with money in their pockets will come and marry you, and take care of you. Traders, you will get big business and big profits from today. From today, you will see that I am a true prophet who has come to deliver you.”

Shouts of “Amen,” “thank you Prophet” and “I receive it” greeted his sermon. After a final prayer, he asked the congregation to come early the following day, and bring others, because there would be many testimonies.

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There would also be “special anointing” for great miracles. Although he did not ask for an offering, most of the people came and dropped notes, and coins at the “pulpit.” When they left, Antobam counted the money.

“GH¢900!” he almost shouted, ‘and I did not even ask for an offer­ing. This is fantabulous!’ Going to the Nana Kofi Broni shrine, he told himself, was a very wise move.

He started making plans……He had to choose a few assistants who would carry out his orders……. He had to hire some chairs as soon as possible……He had to find a suit­able piece of land and, if possible, build his own church……. He had to start looking for a nice car, befitting the status of a popular preacher …… And, most importantly, he had to select two, three or four nice, young women to take care of his needs, apart from the servants who would cook, wash, iron and do other errands for him.

Abruptly, he told himself, this hungry, scruffy Kukurantumi boy was being transformed into a man of power and money, with some of the most beautiful women in town at his beck and call. Wow!

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After a shower and supper, he shut the door to the very small room that served as his bedroom and dropped on the bed. Almost immediately, the shrill sounds, like whispers, began.

This time he did not express any fears. He realised to his great sur­prise that even though the sounds were not in the form of any lan­guage, he could understand them.

Tomorrow there will be testimo­nies……they will give money……. some rich people are being prepared …….they will bring big money ………. we will give them what they want, and they will bring money ……. big money …….big, big money……the women will also come, a number of them. ‘

He went to sleep smiling and whis­pering to himself, ‘big, big money, and women!’

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He woke up at 5 and took a shower. After a breakfast of tea and several slices of bread he set off. On reaching the venue he saw to his great surprise that the place was full.

Very full, and quite a number of people rushed to embrace him and give him the wonderful news. The excited people narrated the testi­monies about big sales, telephone calls from relatives directing them to go to Western Union, and impo­tent husbands who had miraculously rediscovered their magic powers.

He was truly glad that Nana Kofi Broni’s magic had already started working, but most of his attention was focused on the ladies in the congregation. He noticed to his great delight that some of them were really nice. I must start mak­ing my selection, he told himself. Today!

“Give a mighty clap offering to the great, mighty one for his won­ders among us!” he started, and the response was very big.

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“I said yesterday that you were going to see signs and wonders, and I am very happy that my word has been fulfilled. Even though we have taken allowed one hour for testimo­nies, many more of you would like to testify.

Tomorrow, I promise you that there will be ample time. I will only preach a short sermon. The rest of the time will be taken up by consul­tations, after which I will give direc­tions on what to do to ensure that you defeat your enemies, secure your marriage and, most important­ly, continue increasing your profits in your business.” His sermon was interspersed with ecstatic shouts of “Amen,” “it is true,” “God bless you” and “I receive it.”

His final word was emphatic; “Big miracles are coming your way. Keep attending church, and don’t forget to give thanks to God.”

By Ekow de Heer

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Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship launches project to transform young lives

• Members of the Full Gospel Businness Fellowship
• Members of the Full Gospel Businness Fellowship

The Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI) Ghana has launched the Senior High Schools and Colleges Project (SCP) aimed at empowering and transforming the lives of young people.

Speaking at the launch, Professor Mike Ocquaye, the former Speaker of Parliament, emphasised the need to catch them young and train them as the current times were challenging.

He lauded the project, calling on all to support it, saying “In fact, it’s very important to catch them young, train them, lead them, guide them, and men­tor them because the times are indeed rough,” Prof. Ocquaye said.

Mr Ekow Egyir Dadson, the Director, Schools and Colleges Directorate, stated that since its inception in 2018, the SCP had reached over 70 educational institutions with countless testimonies of transformation.

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“We began with the Presbyterian Boys Secondary School (PRESEC) Legon, and now in 2024, we have visited 74 schools and impacted the lives of over 100,000 students, some of whom were personally mentored and now have graduated from the universities.”

He explained that the SCP, a vision by FGBMFI Ghana, was a bold outreach pro­gramme designed to call young people to Christ, train and equip them for the future.

He cited testimony-sharing, mentor­ship, career guidance, entrepreneurship and counseling as some of the unique approaches to be used in reaching out to the targeted students.

Mr Emmanuel Baba Mahama, the National President of the FGBMFI Ghana, launched the SCP Manual, which would help the FGBMFI Zonal Family Chapters across Ghana in order to adopt schools and colleges within their catchment areas.

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The Schools and Colleges project is making a great impact; we have had first-hand testimonies from school heads, teachers, and students (mentees) about the SCP. This project has come to stay, Mr Baba Mahama assured.

He, therefore, called for more vol­unteers and partners to help the SCP shape the next generation of leaders and citizens.

Findings by the FGBMFI revealed that Ghana’s senior high schools, colleges, and university students face growing challenges like addictions, indiscipline, poor academic performance, pornogra­phy, homosexuality, broken homes, and a lack of godly guidance.

That had been a concern to many parents and society, “but the FGBMFI believes there is hope to rescue and re­store these young students,” Mr Mahama said. –GNA

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