The Sekyere South District Assembly has referred to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) the case in which the former District Chief Executive has been accused of taking away official household items.

The former DCE, Mr. Ben Abankwah, is alleged to have taken away itmes including a deep freezer, which he allegedly replaced with an old one, kitchen utensils, cutlery, bedsheets, blankets and pillows.

At the first sitting of the assembly on July 13, this year, the new DCE, Mr. Edward K.Ayarkwa, called on Mr. Abankwa to return all the items and to help the assembly to determine the prices of the items  bought.

This is because the procurement of the items for the former DCE’s bungalow did not go through the normel procurement process, and therefore had no inventory at the assembly’s stores.

The issue was said to have put the assembly in a tight situation to determine the actual prices of the itmes which included  42 and 32 inches Plasma Television sets, home theatre, gas cookers, a deep freezer, kitchen utensils and furniture.

Mr. Ayarkwa said he had forwarded the case to the BNI to handle since the former DCE had declined to corporate in determining the prices of the items.

He said the missing items were detected when officials of the assembly inspected the residence barely a month ago.

The DCE stated that the assembly would not condone any malpractice that would tarnish its image.

Eralier, Mr. Abankwa denied any wrongdoing saying that all the items bought went trough the procurement process as suppliers were allowed to bring their quotations "which is also a procurement process.

He claimed that he bought the bedsheets and blankets with his own money and that he did not see any point in leaving such items, some of which were even old and torn behind.

Source: Times

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