Bright Simons, the Honourary Vice President for IMANI Africa, has filed a Right to Information (RTI) request demanding full disclosure on the utilisation of a total of GHC3.6 million belonging to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).
The said amount is believed to be part of a loan of GHC8.6 million for the KMA-Krofrom Market Project redevelopment.
According to Mr. Simons, having followed the reports about some GHC3 million that could not be accounted for, “There is a murkiness about what is going on that raises concerns about financial propriety.”
The Ghanaian Times reported that at the 9th General Meeting of the KMA on May 8, a loan of GH¢5 million initially earmarked for the redevelopment of the Krofrom market had been increased to GH¢8 million. But only GH¢4.8 million had been utilised for the market project, leaving no documentation of the disbursement of the remaining GH¢3 million.
KMA, in a statement on Friday May 10, however, debunked the media reports, stating that “there had been no reports or claims from the Assembly indicating any misappropriation of funds amounting to 3 million cedis from the project budget.”
Moreover, Fidelity Bank Ghana, where the funds were held, also clarified the alleged missing money.
The bank said in a statement that “there is no missing or unaccounted-for amount of GH¢3.6 million as indicated in KMA’s release. The entire amount of GH¢8.6 million disbursed for Phase 1 of the project comprised GH¢4 million disbursed from Fidelity Bank’s approved facility of GH¢5 million and the KMA’s own funds of GH¢4.6 million disbursed from their contribution of GH¢5 million towards the project.”
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But Mr. Simons, in a post on X, said, “Having followed the confusing back and forth between Fidelity Bank Ghana and the KMA, we have sent an RTI request to KMA.”
The lawyers for Mr. Simons, Gratia Law Consult, are demanding “a detailed and thorough understanding of these arrangements (between Fidelity Bank and KMA).”
They argue that “on careful consideration of the statute and the circumstances at hand, that Fidelity Bank, because of its dealings with KMA and other state-owned institutions, qualifies to be listed as a relevant private body within the meaning of the term in Act 989 and, at any rate, is a quasi-public institution in view of its receipt of public resources through KMA and others.”
“There are, therefore, ample statutory and public policy grounds for the requested information to be disclosed in full, without exception or exemption, and without any regard to commercial secrecy.”
The post ‘Missing’ GHC3 million: Bright Simons files RTI request for KMA’s full transaction details first appeared on 3News.
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