Blows Over Kojo Graham Police Job

‘Money Man’ Kojo Graham, an astute lawyer and smart businessman, is in the news again for the wrong reasons; this time, a pressure group is calling on government and the Ghana Police Service not to give the e-policing contract to a company owned by Mr. Graham.

The group, Concerned Voters Movement, (CVM) told a press conference on Tuesday that Kojo Graham’s Vas- INTEL Company, and its partner Stratcom are piloting the e e-policing system in 26 police stations in Accra and Tema and once it is fully operational, was expected to create a seamless integration of police efforts across the country.

When in full force, the Ghana Police Service shall be using electronic means to take complaints, writing statements, verifying fingerprints, and all entries in CID forms shall be digital beginning with the 26 pilot Police stations in Accra and Tema, and the CID Headquarter.

According to CVM, after the Piloting of the Project, there is high possibility that the Ghana Police Service may award the contract to Vas-Intel owned by Kojo Graham and his partner, Stratcom under sole sourcing at the detriment of potential companies who will have an interest in such project.

It said it was most unlikely that Vas-Intel and Stratcom would use their resources for Piloting and be ignored.

Meanwhile the group is mounting pressure against Kojo Graham’s company because it said the Ghana Police Service should have opened a tender bidding process for all interested companies to partake in the Piloting Project at different Police Stations and at the end of Piloting, the company with the best package given the job.

CVM there was no tender process, there was no advertisement inviting applications for such Piloting, the  Data Protection Commission was not consulted by the Ghana Police Service when they gave the green light to the Vas-Intel owned by Kojo Graham and his partner, Stratcom to carry out such Piloting and the Procurement Minister and Public Procurement Authority were not notified before the Vas-Intel owned by Kojo Graham and his partner, Stratcom carried out the Piloting at the 26 Police Stations in Tema and Accra.

CVM has also called on the Minister of Interior, the National Security Minister, Procurement Minister, and the Police Council to intervene and suspend the pilot project undertaking by Kojo Graham’s Vas- INTEL Company, and its partner Stratcom

At the press conference,  CVM’s President, Razak Kojo Opoku, explained that the Police Service should have complied with the Public Procurement Act (2003), Act 914 amended, to provide an equal opportunity for all the ICT companies in the country who have the same capacity or better than Vas- INTEL and Stratcom, to also bid for the piloting project.

“We are told by the Ghana Police Service that the piloting is free, absolutely at no cost and that the Ghana Police Service has not yet signed any contract with the Vas-INTEL owned by Kojo Graham, Stratcom, and the Department of Computer Engineering of the School of Engineering Sciences of the University of Ghana”, he stressed.

The group believes that the contract will be awarded to Kojo Graham under sole sourcing after the piloting project has been successful.

Mr. Razak Kojo Opoku said checks by the group at the Registrar General Department revealed that Stratcom is not registered as a company in Ghana.

He accused Kojo Graham of using a similar strategy to win a contract with the NLA for 15years when they were having an issue with SimNet.

“He went to NLA and said I have this arrangement let me do this piloting for you. Before NLA was aware they had signed a contract for 15years. When SimNet was coming on board, Kojo Graham’s company was resisting them”, Razak Kojo Opoku disclosed.

The group has therefore called on the Minister of Interior, the National Security Minister, Procurement Minister, and the Police Council to intervene and suspend the pilot project undertaking by Kojo Graham’s Vas- INTEL Company, and its partner Stratcom.

By: Emmanuel Yeboah Britwum/ thePublisher