Former Energy Minister Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei has been hit with another allegation that he took another ‘luxury car’ from GRIDCo and that he has finally agreed to return the flashy Lexus LX570 he took home for his comfort almost three years after leaving the energy ministry.
Even though Oteng-Adjei denied stealing the Lexus super-luxury car that had been in his possession for well over five years, KT Hammond, Minority Spokesperson on energy, who revealed that the ex-minister had a state car in his possession, has dropped another bombshell.
The minority spokesperson has insisted that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) minister is still using a VW Phaeton car which he claims belongs to GRIDCo.
“What is worse, I have some information that he is actually keeping another vehicle in his possession,” he said on Joy FM yesterday.
The Lexus used by Dr Oteng Adjei was one of the luxury vehicles meant for inspection of a rural electrification project.
The former minister said he didn’t steal the car and that the Lexus LX 570 which he was using—until he claimed he returned it to the ministry yesterday—was an appropriate reward for his hard work.
Insisting that he has no vendetta against the embattled politician, KT Hammond suggested that the former energy minister deserves the vilifications coming his way.
‘This is because while Dr Oteng-Adjei was a minister, he went on a witch-hunt for former NPP ministers and functionaries, demanding they return Saloon cars in their possession,’ KT Hammond said.
In reaction, Dr Oteng-Adjei has retorted that anybody who thinks he has done something wrong should go to court, although he would not confirm if the GRIDCo vehicle was indeed in his possession.
An Auditor General’s report released last week revealed that the energy ministry had expended close to $2 million on 38 luxury vehicles and other office equipment meant for the monitoring of a rural electrification project at the time.
Dr Oteng-Adjei said he read the story in DAILY GUIDE that the power ministry was after the Lexus car and so he had no option but to return it.
Speaking on Joy FM , he claimed the official Land Cruiser he was using at the time got involved in an accident around the same time the 38 vehicles were bought and therefore decided to take the Lexus for himself.
He made an interesting revelation to the effect that at the time he was reshuffled from the energy ministry to the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, he realised “the financial situation in that ministry was a little bit difficult, compared to energy (ministry) so I worked out with the people in the energy ministry and kept the car so that we don’t have to go and spend another money to buy another car for me whilst this one was available to me. After all, it was the same government.”
The environment ministry, which he claimed had no money, bought 100,000 laptop computers from Rlg at a high cost and distributed them free of charge to students for votes under Sherry Ayittey.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
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