Mr. Bismark Okrah, the immediate past Finance Officer of the Asuogyaman District Assembly in the Eastern Region has got his office locked, transferred from the District and had his salary frozen for the past two months for refusing to give payments for contracts he suspected to have been highly inflated.
According to sources at the Asuogyaman District Assembly, Mr. Bismark Okrah who was transferred from the District to the Eastern Regional Office of the Controller & Accountant General, over his refusal to give approval for payments of those highly inflated contracts, have been denied office at his new post in Koforidua and had his salary also suspended.
A staff at the assembly who spoke to Awake News on condition of anonymity said Mr. Okrah became a target when protested the decision of DCE, Hon. Samuel Kwame Agyekumto selects a GH¢43,800.00 quotation for the purchase of some 4 set of desktop computers and 4 printers over an earlier quotation for the same equipment obtained by the Procurement Officer at the cost GH¢22,080.00.
Infact, this stance of Mr. Okrah did not go down well with DCE who summoned him (Mr. Okrah) and told him that his duty was to sign documents and not to challenge his (DCE) authority.
He immediately called the Regional Director of Controller & Accountant General demanding that Finance Officer, Mr. Okrah should be transferred from the district because he (DCE) finds it difficult to work with him
The source also revealed that the regional director, Mr. Ayim Antwi after the DCE’s complaint formed a two-man investigation team (Yilo Krobo and Manya Krobo MFOs) to investigate the matter.
The Regional Director’s investigative team cleared Mr. Okrah of any wrong doing. However, Mr. Okrah got transferred despite he being exonerated by the investigative team and had his Office locked at the District by the DCE.
A copy of the documents obtained by Awake News indicated that despite the protest of the Finance Officer, the District procured an HP Laser Jet coloured printer at the cost GHC16,000 whiles the same or similar specifications of the printer is sold on the market for GHC1,850. Also, an HP desktop computer which was bought at GHC4,000 per unit goes at GHC2,500 on the IT market.
Mr. Ayim Antwi declined to comment when he was contacted by Awake News on the specific reason why Mr. Bismark Okrah was transferred, denied of office at the Regional Office of the Contraller in Koforidua and had his salary frozen. He has since directed the Awake News team to seek permission from the Controller & Accountant General in Accra before he can speak on the issue.
Source: AwakeNewsOnline.com | Efo Korsi Senyo
