Former Deputy Attorney General Alfred Tuah-Yeboah has expressed shock at comments made by Attorney General Dominic Ayine regarding the Saglemi housing project case.
The remarks follow Ayine’s explanation for dropping the case. Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, January 10, Ayine said the case was “poorly investigated” and the charges “poorly thought through,” citing a disconnect between the alleged financial loss and the evidence presented.
Responding in an interview on Channel One Newsroom on Sunday, January 11, Tuah-Yeboah suggested that the AG had either not reviewed the full case docket or had done so and chosen to “spew untruths.”
He defended the integrity of the investigation, emphasising that the Saglemi case was built on a detailed inquiry by the State Security Agency. Because the case involved large-scale construction, an independent evaluation of the project was commissioned. On 3 April 2020, a letter was sent to the Ghana Institute of Surveyors requesting an on-site valuation of the project and an assessment of the percentage of work completed.
The resulting report, delivered on 21 February 2022, revealed significant gaps between payments made and work completed. Out of 5,000 houses planned, only 1,506 had been started. Of these, 666 were substantially completed, 74 at the foundation stage, and 778 structurally completed. The report estimated that over $32 million would be required to finish the 1,506 houses.
Tuah-Yeboah also highlighted alleged financial irregularities, noting that while the contractor had received over $196 million, only $67 million worth of work was documented on site.
“I am very surprised that the AG will make such a statement and I am inclined to believe that the learned AG has not gone through the case docket at the AG’s office or he has gone through it and he’s decided to spew untruths. If you look at the Saglemi docket, it was built after a painstaking investigation by the State Security Agency. But because this matter involved construction there was the need for evaluation of the project to be done.
“So on 3rd April 2020 a letter was written to Ghana Institute of Surveyors instructing them to value the project on site, give us the percentage of work done and on the 21st of February 2022 they came out with a voluminous report… In that report they make various findings. It was through that report that we got to know that in total out of the 5000 houses that were to be built, only 1506 were on the ground and even out of the 1506 only 666 were substantially completed, 74 were on the foundation level then 778 were structurally completed.
“The report also further indicated that the state will need $32 million plus to complete the 1506 and the most interesting and intriguing bit is that this contractor had been paid over $196 million. However when the evaluation was done the contract has paid on site is $67 million. Total work on the ground $67 million amount paid close to $196 million.”
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