All persons and entities involved in the botched Saglemi housing deal will soon be called out to answer questions on allegations of causing financial loss to the state.
This is according to Works and Housing Minister, Samuel Atta Akyea.
The latest indication follows the receipt of the Attorney General’s legal opinion regarding the $200 million housing deal executed under the Mahama Administration.
The project has stalled over allegations that the country was shortchanged with the provision of less than 1,500 housing units as against the initial agreement of 5,000 housing units.
Samuel Atta Akyea in an interview with Citi News said his outfit will pursue the matter and make its case before the appropriate investigating authority to take up the matter.
“What will happen is that we will make the statement to the investigating authorities and they will choose by their investigation who is the candidate to be held. Everyone who is involved will have to come and give his/her side of the story for them to see whether he/she helped in causing financial loss to the state,” he said.
The Minister had earlier given indications that government intends to terminate the existing contract for the Saglemi housing project.
“We realized that dubious shortchange in terms of contract sum and the delivery of the housing units and we believe that there are challenges of value for money analysis. So we have made reference to the Attorney General for advise because we intend terminating the contract, taking over the project for completion and when we see any malfeasance, we will address it,” he said.
Atta Akyea in 2018 said the housing units that had been built so far lacked essential amenities such as water, electricity and drainage systems.
“The Seglemi structure that we see over there is a huge trouble. If we should go into why it has not been inhabited we will go into crisis. I can assure you there is a challenge in terms of how the monies were faithfully applied to the project, matters that the Attorney-General would have to look at and EOCO to investigate,” he said.
