The fallout from the Ghc 3.9m bus rebranding saga continues unabated, and Ghanaians are braced for whatever is coming out of it.
The transport minister tendered in her resignation on Wednesday, for her role in the entire sag- following the Attorney General also submitting a report on the issue to the Chief of Staff- and it seems this is the first consequence from it.
Smartty’s Management Limited, owned by actress Selassie Ibrahim, carried out the rebranding on the buses, and the Attorney General’s report has determined that the cost was overinflated.
The Chief of Staff has ordered that Ghc 1.9m of the Ghc 3.6m used to execute the contract, should be returned to the state by Smartty’s. This was contained in a statement issued from the Presidency on Thursday.
Read the full statement below…
Chief of Staff Mr. Julius Debrah has, upon receipt of the Attorney General’s report on the spraying and branding of 116 new buses procured for the Metro Mass Transit Company Limited, requested the Attorney General and Minister for Justice to recover from Messrs Smartty’s Management Limited, a total of GH¢1.9 million, which is determined in the report to be excess payment made for the service rendered.
The Chief of Staff last week requested the Attorney General to conduct an urgent review of the contract following concerns raised about the cost of the spraying and branding exercise.
In her report submitted on Tuesday, the Attorney General, Mrs. Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong found that there were no cost comparisons to what was submitted by Smartty’s Management because of the method of procurement and the procedures used.
The procurement method, the report noted, did not also ensure value for money. Independent consultations made by the Attorney General with some leading motor firms in the country confirmed that the contract would have been executed at a cheaper cost if other bids were considered and price comparisons made.
What a complete disgrace! The truth will always come out. This thief has been doing all kinds of shady deals because she’s connected to those in power. This is not the first one but surely your time for looting exposure has come.
Wasn’t she the one in the NDC congress photo that was circulating. She and Dumelo? If Dumelo is her toy boy then by now he had also taken more than half of the money from her. Selassie Good luck in refunding that 1.9 million. You have disgraced yourself and your company. Fraudsters.
Yeah that’s her. I saw that picture too. Ghana has a long way to go
Yes she was the lady with Dumelo in that photo. Both of them have been “friends with benefits” for a long time. It’s no secret. She was the one that even encouraged Dumelo to stick his huge nose into NDC politics.
This woman should be now in prison. All these quick money makers. All of a sudden an actress is into politics, in bed with the president and winning big contracts by all means.
Selassie should be behind bars by now. I doubt this is the first time she’s defrauded us. It’s just the first time she’s been caught. People have been shot and killed in this country for less. Paying back 1.9 million is not enough. just because she’s in bed with JM doesn’t mean she should get away with this!! Aaabaa!!!