Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Gifty Klenam, has dismissed media reports that she and one of her deputies, Eric Amoako Twum, are indulging in massive mismanagement of funds belonging to the authority.
According to reports, Madam Klenam and her deputy have collected $132,000 or GH¢580,800 for house rent, covering a period of two years in gross violation of state procurement laws.
But in a press statement issued by the authority on Tuesday the allegations were denied outright with no explanation.
The statement indicated that “the Ghana Export Promotion Authority by this release denies the allegations as put in the media.”
It said, “we further assure our esteemed stakeholders that the Audit Service of Ghana, as mandated by law, has as is periodically required and done, scheduled to conduct their routine audit, and the management of GEPA shall in deference to the integrity of the office of audit, await the settlement of the facts of the matter.”
However, even though the CEO and the authority have denied the allegations, checks by DAILY GUIDE indicated that she and her deputy actually collected the said amounts for their accommodations when GEPA is in desperate need of funds to boost its export promotion activities of non-traditional commodities.
According to sources, workers at GEPA are seething with anger over the alleged reckless spending by the CEO.
The amount was said to have actually been cashed from First Atlantic Bank Ghana and used for the rents, and the authority in its response failed to address the substantive issues that have been raised against Ms Klenam and her deputy.
Reports have it that the CEO and her deputy, in a letter dated 23rd May, 2017, and jointly signed by the two of them, ordered the Manager of First Atlantic Bank Ghana Limited to effect the transfer of “the cedi equivalent of $132, 000 from account number 0360571101014 and credit same to account number 0360571101025.”
The letter said Mr. Twum was to receive the money on behalf of the authority, and that the money was subsequently withdrawn in two tranches, with $100,000 withdrawn on May 23, 2017 and $32,000 withdrawn on May 26, 2017.
Ms Klenam had reportedly parted with $72,000 as rent allowance at $3,000 a month for 24 months while her deputy Mr. Twum collected $60,000 at $2,500 a month for 24 months.
Again, Ms. Klenam has been accused of paying herself GH¢ 93,000 for clothing allowance, and has also been accused of paying $19,500 for a training programme at Harvard University in the United States of America.
Furthermore, it is alleged that she has also authorized the purchasing of two new Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles and two new Saloon cars for herself and her deputy and a new Nissan Teana car for her assistant.
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