The Ghana Gas Company has denied claims of paying an amount of GHc8 million to the Chief Executive of the Ellembele District Assembly.
The matter drove a wedge between the two prompting the District Chief Executive, Kwasi Bonzoh to issue a rebuttal and a 48-hour ultimatum to Ernest Owusu Bempah to retract and offer an apology for the false claims.
But the two entities have reconciled over the speculations following a press briefing on Wednesday clarifying the actual amount the company had made to the assembly.
The Director of Corporate Communications of Ghana Gas, Ernest Owusu Bempah said the company’s corporate social responsibility projects in the Ellembele area were misconstrued as he denied paying 8 million cedis into the pocket of the DCE.
“I have not said it anywhere that we have paid a physical cash of 8 million to Bonzoh K personally, that is, we Ghana Gas has paid money, cash, or any other amount to Bonzoh K, that is factually inaccurate, I have never said it anywhere, and I have never stated it anywhere on any platform. And as a matter of fact, we pay rent or property rate for them – the District Assembly to execute their duty or whatever it is. So that has been consistent, and since 2017 Ghana Gas has been doing that and we’ve been paying some amount of money to the assembly. And the records must be set straight that we pay those monies to Ellembelle District Assembly, not Kwasi Bonzoh as a person that certain media quarters have put it out there that that is what Owusu Bempah said. I spoke to Nzema Fm, I never said that they paid that amount personally to Kwasi Bonzoh but Ellmebelle District Assembly.
“The amount that was paid to him to the assembly is Ghc4.450 million, and the remaining one is with the audit, which the total amount will end up in 8 million but that has not hit the account yet.”
On his part, the Ellembele DCE, Kwasi Bonzoh corroborated the said amount per the assembly’s audited accounts which the assembly has received since 2017.
“The assembly as has been confirmed has since 2017 received total payment of Ghc4.450 million from Ghana Gas, for payment of property rate and business operating permit and all monies that has been paid to the assembly has gone to the assembly’s account not to my personal account. And the assembly is a public institution whose account has been audited every year.”
He further spoke on the relationship between the Assembly and Ghana Gas as a company operating in the District saying it was crucial the two cleared the air on the wild speculations bandied about.
“The assembly and the company, with been in communication since last week and we’ve all come to the conclusion that given the cordial relationship that has existed between us in the last six years, we shouldn’t allow this matter to ruin the relationship that I have personally with the CEO, the Corporate Communications Manager and then all the other staff of Ghana Gas who in one way or the other have helped the assembly in so many ways, especially the CSR project.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Kobina Amuah
