New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Obuasi says the decision by government to blow close to $2 million on luxury cars is yet another example of government’s brazen dissipation and “looting of public finances.”
Kweku Kwarteng does not understand why government procured a loan for the rural electrification project and rather chose to dissipate part of the money on luxury cars for ministers and other officials at the Energy Ministry, with the explanation that the cars would be used to monitor progress on the project.
An audit report presented to Parliament by the Auditor-General, Richard Quartey, revealed that the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum (MoEF) spent $1,745, 159 (GHS5,584,508 at current exchange rate) on 38 luxury vehicles when there was no budgetary provision for the purchases.
The vehicles were bought from money meant for extending electricity to 1,200 communities under the Multi-Donor Budgetary Support Programme between 2010 and 2012. The Ministry also bought two heavy duty photocopiers for $33,226.40 (GHS106,324), four desktop computers with accessories for $10,522.28(GHS33,670), and three laptop computers with accessories for $8,008.71 (GHS25,627.87).
These expenses have sent Kweku Kwarteng completely berserk. He told Joy News’ Evans Mensah this reckless dissipation of government finances must stop.
According to him, the documentation and the bill of finances that was brought before Parliament on the project did not include these luxury vehicles.
He wondered how Government smuggled the luxury vehicle expenditure into the project.
Kweku Kwarteng said the Energy Minister alone has over three or four four-wheel drives, one which could have been used to monitor activities on the rural electrification project.
How a luxury car was bought for the Minister in addition to the existing fleet beats the imagination of the Obuasi MP.
He said the Energy Minister would have to be dragged before Parliament to explain this wanton dissipation of public funds.
He said the President must also show commitment in the fight against corruption by taking action on this massive corruption.
However, the North Dayi MP George Loh is unhappy with the comments made by Kweku Kwarteng.
He accused Kweku Kwarteng of dabbling in “cheap politicking” to make the Minister and President unpopular.
He explained it may well be possible that some public officials may have misappropriated public funds at the blind side of the Minister and that needs to be investigated.
George Loh hinted there will be public retreat between the Auditor General and officials cited in the report as having misappropriated public funds in order to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the allegations being made.
He said it doesn’t lie in the mouth of Kweku Kwarteng to pronounce anybody guilty for any crime adding that the Auditor General will present his final report on the matter.
