The management of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has debunked claims by a staff that the CEO and a Medical Director had arbitrarily acquired two luxurious cars at the expense of main priorities of the hospital.
It has parried the allegations of misapplication of COVID-19 funds, donated by five major donors, for the procurement of vehicles, saying the allegations are pure lies.
A staff of the hospital, Awuni Akyeraba, has alleged that the management of KATH had misappropriated US$116,000 COVID-19 funds to purchase two cars for the use of the CEO and the Medical director.
The accuser has since petitioned the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director of the Hospital for allegedly misusing COVID-19 fundsto purchase luxurious vehicles claiming the act is an abuse of public office.
But the Director of Administration of KATH, Mr. Fred Effah Yeboah, speaking to the allegations at a press conference in Kumasi, explained that the procurement of brand new Toyota saloon cars, with minimum specifications had been approved by the KATH Board and the Ministry of Health (MOH), which processes began in 2019, besides the audit of KATH accounts by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the MOH.
He disclosed that the Board took the decision to buy those cars, upon realising that the two officials assumed office without official cars.
According to him, the Board gave the approval in June 4, 2019 at the launch of Tender which was re-launched on February 19, 2020 after which evaluation was done by a Tender Committee on March 4, 2020.
The Director said even as the Board saw the need for the procurement of the vehicles, the decision did not seem to be the priority of the CEO who requested that management seeks the approval of the MOH, as a condition to agree to the said procurement.
Backed by documentation evidence by procurement officials and director of finance, Mr. Effah Yeboah said upon the approval of the Board and MOH the two Toyota saloon cars were purchased from Toyota Ghana Limited at GHC336,042 which payment was spread over five months with 50% paid after a month and the remaining half paid over four months.
The Director of Administration revealed that payment for the vehicles were made on September 7, 2020; October 22, 2020; November 9, 2020 and January 13, 2021 respectively, and duly receipted.
He further said while the Medical director’s car was delivered on June 30, 2020 that of the CEO was delivered on July 30, 2020 but unfortunately the medical director, Prof. Baffour Kofi Opoku’s car, was involved in an accident when a car run into it, as collaborated by police report of August 23, 2020.
Reacting to the alleged misapplication of COVID-19 funds, the Director of Administration said management decided to buy equipment which cost GHC723,030 out of about GHC900,000 the rest of which went into the purchase of consumables.
Following, Mr. Effah Yeboah said the allegations of misapplication of COVID-19 funds for the procurement of vehicles for use by the CEO and medical director are lies, so is his claim that Prof. Baffour Opoku’s car was being driven by his wife at the time it was involved in an accident.
“The allegations are nothing but lies, total lies and pure lies through and through”, Mr. Effah Yeboah stressed and welcomed investigations by CHRAJ.
Meanwhile, Mr.AwuniAkyeraba, the revenue officer, who is behind the allegation, has been interdicted by KATH management.
He is, however, yet to appear before a Disciplinary Committee which would report back to the Board of the health facility.
