by George Nyavor
he Ministry of Trades and Industry is set to begin a forensic audit into the alleged $1.2 million scandal that has hit the former Executive Director of the Ghana Standards Authority.
Dr George Crentsil has been cited in a damning investigative report that alleges that he collected $1.2 million kickback from a contractor undertaking construction work for the Authority.
The report which was intercepted by Joy News' investigative journalis,t Kwetey Nartey suggests Dr Crentsil in two tranches of $1 million and $200,000 collected the money from Lemet Construction, the company which won the contract to build a new block of the Standards Authority Training School at a cost of GHC15 million.
However, Joy News has intercepted another letter from the Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen, dated May 12 and addressed to the Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo, requesting “forensic audit into the activities of the Ghana Standards Authority”.
A whistleblower from the Authority was said to have triggered the investigation with an anonymous letter to the former Minister who forwarded the complaints to the Board to investigate.
The whistleblower's letter came at a time when the project had completely stalled with no explanation from the contractor.
The Board instituted an investigation into the matter and found that colossal amounts had been paid as kickback.
The Standards Authority is officially under the Trade Ministry and the request for the audit by the current Minister is expected to explain why the former Minister, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, received the investigative report on his last day in office, among other veiled matters.
To read the full piece from myjoyonline.com, click here.