Former Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, has described as “false” and “malicious” claims by the Chief Executive Officer of the Public Sector Reforms, Thomas Kusi Boafo that state cars were sold at cheap prices to members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) under the John Mahama-led government.
Mr Boafo alleged in an interview with Kessben TV that: “The cars which arrived on March 15, 2015 were sold at cheap prices within a period of three months.”
According to him, the cost of each vehicle was priced at about $165,000 when the state acquired them but were being sold at $2,500 to government officials and party members.
Mr Boafo said, “The cars were giveaways and the presidency became vehicle transition point for corruption”.
However, Mr Debrah denying the claims in a statement said: “For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to state as follows:
1) Under no circumstance and at no time during my tenure as Chief of Staff under the previous government was any such vehicle either bought or sold at the price quoted by Kusi Boafo. His claims in that regard are therefore totally false and malicious.
2) On the matter of vehicles bought by ex-government officials, Mr Kusi Boafo and his principals are aware of a long-standing policy under which salon cars aged two years and above are permitted to be bought by departing government officials. This policy has been in existence since the advent of the fourth republic and persons benefitting from it are made to pay a commensurate value objectively determined by professional valuers.
“It is surprising, and perhaps underscores the malicious intent of Mr Kusi Boafo, that he failed to disclose vehicles bought by members of the Kufour administration on the eve of their exit from office under the same policy and processes in 2008/2009.Many of the beneficiaries of that policy happen to be high-profile members of the Akufo-Addo government.
“These latest false claims follow similar claims by the Minister for Information, Mustapha Hamid, which are all false.
“They also appear to be a rehash of untruthful claims made by Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, to the effect that over 200 vehicles could not be found at the Presidency.
“We wish to assure however, that we stand prepared to correct such misimpressions and expose the mischief therein.”