The contractor responsible for the procurement of medical equipment for the 120-bed Weija Children’s Hospital has been arrested by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) as investigations into alleged procurement irregularities intensify.
The Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, disclosed that the contractor was picked up on Friday, July 8, to assist with investigations into the procurement process for equipment supplied to the World Bank-funded hospital project.
Speaking on JoyFM’s Top Story on Friday, July 10, Mr Ofosu said the investigations stem from concerns raised by the World Bank over what it described as “misprocurement.”
“My information is that he was picked up sometime today in relation to matters to do with procurement,” he said.
According to the Minister, state authorities suspect there may have been wrongdoing in the procurement of medical equipment for the hospital.
“State authorities believe that there was some wrongdoing in the procurement of some medical equipment for the 120-bed Weija Children’s Hospital, which was being financed by the World Bank,” he stated.
He explained that the World Bank had identified significant discrepancies in the pricing of some of the equipment.
“Indeed, the World Bank itself has raised the issue. They labelled it as misprocurement. They say that specific items intended for use in that hospital were bought at prices that were highly inflated and far above their market value,” he said.
Mr Ofosu noted that the allegations point to possible corruption or related procurement offences, making it necessary for law enforcement agencies to investigate.
“They therefore believe that some corruption or related offences may have occurred. It is the duty of state officials to investigate because these are public funds,” he said.
He explained that the contractor’s arrest forms part of the initial stages of the investigation, with authorities seeking answers regarding the procurement process.
“State officials have commenced investigations by initially arresting the contractor, who is the person responsible for the procurement, for questioning so that they may determine what explanations there may be and how to proceed with the investigations. So that is the reason why the contractor is being held,” Mr Ofosu added.
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