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The Head of Policy Monitoring and Evaluation at the Office of the President, Dr Tony Aidoo, says though he purchased a Ford Expedition of presidential specification at GHC 6,200, the said vehicle was in a battered state.
A group made up of New Patriotic Party (NPP) officials under the umbrella of �The People Must Know�, on Wednesday, accused Dr Tony Aidoo of using his position to �grab� a 2005 Ford Expedition at that paltry sum.
Addressing a news conference in Accra, a Deputy Communications Director of the NPP, Mr Sammy Awuku, said the car, which was part of former President Kufuor�s fleet of official vehicles, was bought on auction by Dr Aidoo and the money paid to Shargaw Ventures, a licensed auctioneer.
According to him, the deal smacks of corruption as the vehicle was released to Dr Aidoo at a �ridiculously low price".
�The action of Dr. Tony Aidoo constitutes thievery of the highest order...is really evil! This is really criminal! This is very unethical! This is naked robbery!! This is Machiavellian!!!,� Sammy Awuku said
But speaking in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM�s morning show �Kokrokoo�, the Director in Charge of Policy Monitoring and Evaluation at the Presidency pointed out that though the said vehicle was in �a very bad condition," its state was not that "hopeless�.
He rebuffed suggestions that he is involved in any situation of conflict of interest in the purchase of the vehicle as the sale process was made public.
�I am not the one who took the decision to scrap the car...and ordered its public auction. I am not the one who valued the car and set the price on it.... So where arises the conflict of interest?� he asked.
Legal Action
The former University Lecturer also insisted that he followed due process in the purchase of the vehicle.
�I did not purchase the vehicle from any government agency, I purchased it from an auctioneer who had been given the right to sell the vehicle. I bought the vehicle when I saw an advert in the Ghanaian Times that the vehicle was up for auction...This particular car didn�t have a functional gear box, air-condition unit and the body was in a state of total disrepair...I applied for transfer of ownership and the vehicle was transferred into my name,� he said.
Dr Tony Aidoo also threatened legal action against Sammy Awuku for accusing him of looting state property saying the NPP communicator has stepped into a landmine.
�In politics you need to be sure of where you are stepping. It is not because you have a big mouth so you can go ahead and say anything you want...Now I am glad that Samuel Awuku in the press statement stated certain conditions under which he believes I would be justified in having bought the car. He asked the question was the car advertized? Was the car authorized to be disposed off? All these things I believe will be answered in court�I am definitely going to court�I'll definitely squeeze him...whatever the length of time it would take, I would go to court,� he assured.
Source: Chris Joe Quaicoe/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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