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Mr. Owusu[/caption] The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) board is yet to submit its report on investigations into the alleged conflict of interest and financial malfeasance made against its Director General, Kwame Owusu, who has since last week retired from office. Barely four months after the probe was ordered into the allegations, the Transport Minister Kwaku Ofori Asiamah said on Tuesday that he is yet to receive the findings of the board for the necessary action to be taken.
At a news conference in Accra Tuesday, the Minister confirmed reports that Mr. Owusu has retired, but indicated the report of the board will be made public once it is submitted to him. Mr. Asiamah was accused of approving payments to LUXE Hotels [owned by him] for services rendered to the Authority, which many have cited him for conflict of interest. Apparently Mr. Owusu is the Group Chairman of LUXE Hotels. For instance, he is alleged to have approved the payment of ten thousand six hundred and fifty-two Ghana cedis, five pesewas (GH₵10,652.05) to the hotel for providing lunch for 8 persons as lunch. But that allegation has been denied by the Authority, though Mr. Asiamah justified the payments. He claimed, the decision to contract the hotel for the catering services was taken and approved by the board of the Authority. Co-Chairman of the Citizen’s Movement against Corruption (CMaC), Edem Senanu advocated investigation into the allegations, consequent to which the Transport minister instructed the board of the Maritime Authority to investigate the Director General. “As the sector Minister with oversight responsibility over the Ghana Maritime Authority, I wish to indicate that I have directed the Board of the Authority to investigate the allegations and report to me for necessary action,” Transport Minister Kawku Ofori Asiamah has stated. By 3news.com|Ghana]]>