‘Petition on MMT Scandal Will Be Dealt With’ – Martin Amidu

The matter of the alleged shady deals involving the Managing Director of  Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMT), is on the agenda of the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, and will be investigated when the office has fully settled.

In a letter dated April 11 replying the petitioners, Mr. Amidu said: “this office is in the process of being composed in accordance with its establishing statutes with the necessary professional staff to enable it  function effectively.”

Mr. Amidu added that the report will be referred to the “appropriate division as soon as it comes on stream or an alternate arrangement is put in place to investigate complaints such as yours.”

The MMT’s Security Coordinator, together with other unidentifiable persons had petitioned the office of the Special Prosecutor to investigate alleged procurement malpractices for the purchase of some 300 buses by the MMT MD, Bennet Aboagye.

According to the petition, signed by one Mr. Lawal, who is said to be the Company’s Head of Security, the Managing Director, is in collusion with some top officials of the Company to secretly purchase 300 new buses and electrical products, and sell off MMT scrap buses.

The petition sighted by Citi News accused Mr Aboagye and his assistant, Mr. Yiadom Kessie of openly requesting “for bribes or commission before awarding contracts to suppliers or signing cheques to pay suppliers for services they rendered.”

The petitioners say they subsequently “planted a third ear at some strategic locations with the hope of having firsthand information about what the MD, his assistant and some key players in this scandal do, say and planned to do, and the revelations uncovered are mind-boggling.”

They also claimed that Mr. Aboagye, however, tried to bribe them to the tune of about GHc60,000 to have the recordings and transcripts destroyed.

I’m being blackmailed

But in a swift response, Mr. Aboagye, dismissed the allegations.

He insisted that Mr . Lawal had tried extorting about $1 million from him with the pretence of being a negotiator between him [Aboagye] and the alleged blackmailers.

Mr. Aboagye said he quickly informed his lawyer, Dr Amoako Tuffour, who advised him to inform the Bureau of National Investigations [BNI].

He also said Dr. Tuffour advised him to pay the ransom to the whistleblowers to bait them.

He said after several meetings, Mr Lawal told them that the supposed blackmailers had agreed to accept GHc40,000 and hand over all the recordings and the “supposed third ear.”

MMT Board asks MD to proceed on leave

Mr. Aboagye was subsequently asked to proceed on leave on Wednesday.

The company said the move will enable investigations to be conducted into the matter.

A five-member committee is to be set up to investigate the deals.