Mills accepts embattled Sports Minister
resignation, wishes him well
Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, Ghanadot
Accra, June 26, Ghanadot - The
President of Ghana, Professor John Evans Atta Mills has
accepted the embattled Sports Minister, Muntaka Mubarak
Mohammed resignation letter and wishes him well.
This is a full statement issued by the Presidential
Spokesperson, Mr. Mahama Ayariga on the
minister;s resignation and President Mills’
acceptance.
GOVERNMENT STATEMENT ON THE NATIONAL SECURITY REPORT ON
INVESTIGATIONS INTO ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE MINISTER OF
YOUTH AND SPORTS AND THE OFFER OF THE MINISTER TO RESIGN
FROM OFFICE
Investigations by National Security into the allegations
against Hon. Muntaka Mubarak, Minister of Youth and Sports,
have been completed and a report submitted to the President.
The following could not be established:
* The Minister collected US$2,000.00 imprest for the finals
of the 1st CHAN tournament in Abidjan.
* The Minister collected US$10,000.00 for landing rights for
the aircraft which took the government delegation to the
CHAN finals in Abidjan.
* The Minister personally arranged for accommodation and
feeding of the Black Star players in Kenya and Sudan.
* The Minister was paid GHC15,200.00 as refund for meat and
food items
* The Minister’s wife was allocated VW Passat No. GT 1351 Z.
* The Minister demanded immediate payment of or was paid
GHC1,000. per match for the services of a Mallam.
* The Minister requested or collected GHC12,000 for gifts
for the Minister’s constituency on his last trip to Kumasi.
* The Minister allocated to himself or was allocated five
(5) official vehicles.
The following were established:
* The Minister collected a per diem allowance of GHC2,000
for the Ghana-Benin match. This amount was authorized by the
Chief Director, Mr. Albert Anthony Ampong, but the Minister
had no knowledge of what his per diem for the travel was
supposed to be.
* Ms. Edith Zinayela (Secretary to the Majority Leader in
Parliament) was part of the Minister’s entourage to the
finals of CHAN tournament in Abidjan at the expense of the
Government. After the delegation returned from Abidjan, the
Minister sought the advice of the Chief Director of the
Ministry who instructed the Principal Accountant to purchase
the ticket for Ms. Zinayela by raising a memo for the
purpose.
* The Minister received a letter from the National Sports
Council requesting the release of GHC1,410,051.58. The
Minister minuted the letter to his Chief Director for the
necessary action. The Chief Director presented the Minister
with a duly prepared letter for his signature which the
Minister signed after being convinced that due diligence had
been followed. This amount was not released by the Ministry
of Finance to the National Sports Council.
* The Minister requested that arrangement for accommodation
and feeding of the Black Stars players in Kenya and Sudan
should be done by Tour Operators to enable the Ministry make
some savings. This did not go down well with the Ministry
officials. The Principal Accountant, Mr. Adim Odoom, and an
official of GFA had earlier visited Mali to make
arrangements for the Black Stars without the knowledge of
the Minister. They were about to do the same for Kenya and
Sudan when the Minister found out and ordered them to stop.
* The Minister requested for he and his family to travel to
Kumasi by air. The Chief Director endorsed the request by
the Minister. The request was backed with a memo. The Chief
Director did not advise the Minister that his family was not
entitled to these tickets.
* The Ministry refunded to the Minister an amount of
GHC674.02 for items the Minister was entitled to as protocol
and entertainment. The Chief Director or the Principal
Accountant should have vetted the receipt and exempted items
which were not allowable. Items like baby oil, baby food and
mouth wash should have been disallowed even though they
formed a seemingly insignificant part of the bill.
The Minister on discovering that this amount had been
refunded demanded to withdraw the receipt but the Principal
Accountant Mr. Adim Odoom assured him that everything was in
order and that he had paid the refund from the imprest which
was normal.
* The Minister’s driver presented for refund a receipt for
the Minister’s household items totaling GHC1,520 and not
GHC15,200 as alleged but this amount was never refunded.
* Ms. Edith Zinayela was part of the Minister’s entourage to
Germany on the invitation of Souito Sports Management Group.
Her visa fee was paid by the Ministry.
* Alhaji Abdulai Yakubu (Director of Finance and
Administration at the Ministry) authorized a certain payment
because the Chief Director was in Tamale and would be away
for a week. The accountant objected to his authorization.
The Minister directed that the documents be re-routed for
the approval and authorization of the Chief Director.
The following were also established:
* Under the close eye of the Minster, savings were made as a
result of the payment of graduated bonuses as well as cuts
in the payment of bonuses to officials. These monies were
returned to government chest and the Chief of Staff was
informed in writing.
* The Chief Director, Mr. Albert Anthony Ampong,
acknowledged that Mr. Ebenezer Lomotey, another Accountant
at the Ministry, handed over US$10,000.00 to him (the Chief
Director) to be given the Minister. The Chief Director could
however not recollect exactly where he gave the money to the
Minister neither could he show any documentary proof of
having handed the money over to the Minister. The Minister
denied having received any such money.
* The Principal Accountant, Mr. Adim Odoom, indicated that
he gave US$10,000.00 to the Chief Director for onward
delivery to the Minister for payment of landing rights for
the CHAN finals in Abidjan. There is no evidence that the
Chief Director handed over this amount to the Minister. The
Minister denied having received any such money.
* The Vehicle VW Passat No GT 1351 Z was formerly used by
Dr. Emmanuel Owusu Ansah, Director of Sports Development at
the Ministry. The decision of the Minister to take that car
did not go down well with Dr. Owusu Ansah to the extent that
he decided to retire before his retirement date. This source
of conflict between Dr. Owusu Ansah and the Minister
apparently caused him to team up with others like the
Principal Accountant Mr. Adim Odoom to create problems for
the Minister.
* Mr. Adim Odoom typed his allegations on Dr. Owusu Ansah’s
laptop in Dr. Owusu Ansah’s office. Dr. Owusu Ansah admitted
that he took copies of the allegations to Mr. Kofi Adams for
the attention of former President Rawlings. He also gave
copies to other persons.
His Excellency the President has accepted the findings of
the National Security and has decided as follows:
* The Principal Accountant, Mr. Adim Odoom, indicated that
he gave US$10,000.00 to the Chief Director, Mr. Albert
Anthony Ampong, for onward delivery to the Minister. Mr.
Ampong acknowledged receipt of this amount. However, there
is no evidence that Mr. Ampong handed over the money to the
Minister. Mr. Lomotey, another accountant at the Ministry,
indicated that he gave the Chief Director US$10,000.00 for
onward delivery to the Minister. Mr. Ampong acknowledged
receipt of same. However, there is no evidence that Mr.
Ampong handed over the money to the Minister. His Excellency
the President has therefore directed that the Chief Director
of the Ministry of Youth and Sports refund the amount of US$
20,000.00 to Government coffers.
* The Chief Director and the Principal Accountant of the
Ministry of Youth and Sports failed to follow laid down
administrative and financial regulations and procedures
required of Civil Servants. The President finds it
particularly outrageous that the Chief Director and the
Principal Accountant, if they are to be believed, paid out
sums of money as large as $10,000 on two separate occasions
without any documentation and without any evidence
whatsoever. On the other hand, if the moneys were not paid,
then their allegation would amount to a fabrication against
the Minister, an equally serious offence. On either score,
the conduct of the two officials would be conduct unbecoming
of the high positions they hold in the Civil Service. His
Excellency the President has accordingly directed that the
Head of Civil Service should apply appropriate sanctions
against Mr. Albert Anthony Ampong and Mr. Adim Odoom.
Pending the decision of the Head of Civil Service, the two
officials are to be interdicted.
* His Excellency the President has also ordered an audit
into the affairs of the Sports Division of the Ministry of
Youth and Sports covering the period 2001 to 2009 as well as
a review of the organization, role and structure of the
Ministry of Youth and Sports as recommended by the National
Security investigation report.
* The President is satisfied that the Minister’s actions in
cutting down on waste and curtailing frivolous expenditure
is what incurred the displeasure of some officials of the
Ministry and caused them to gang up against him. The
President commends the Minister in this regard.
* His Excellency the President is dissatisfied with the
conduct of the Minister in his decision to embark on the
German trip with Ms. Edith Zinayela and in particular in his
decision to apply for a visa for her in circumstances that
amounted to a mis-description of her official position. The
decision for the Ministry to pay for Ms. Zinayela’s visa fee
was equally improper. It was an error of judgment on the
part of the Minister from which it is hoped all other
appointees will learn. Consequently, His Excellency the
President has decided to accept the Minister’s decision to
resign his position as Minister of Youth and Sports and to
thank him for the services that he has rendered to the
state.
* The President has also accepted the Minister’s offer to
make good to the state all liabilities incurred on account
of Ms. Zinayela’s trip to Germany including the cost of the
visa fee.
Ghanadot
