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A former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Alhaji Said Sinare has been cited by the Auditor General for effecting some alleged fictitious payments to a consultancy firm, Glinco Construction and Engineering Company Limited, the amount of $60,000.00 for no work done.

The said amount was paid to the company for consultancy service to construct a permanent residency at Ghana's Mission in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for ambassadors. 

The Auditor general in its 2018 report uncovered that an amount of $60,000.00 was paid to the said construction company but was later realised there was no work done.

The chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of parliament, Hon James Avardzi Klutse, directed the Foreign Affairs ministry who appeared before it during its sittings to verify the authenticity of the company involved and get in touch with the former ambassador, Alhaji Said Sinare and report back to the committee in a week period.

In an interview with William Gentu, the former Ambassador, Alhaji Said Sinare, under whose watch these payments were made has stated that he is ever ready to avail himself for any enquiry either by the Public Accounts Committee or the Foreign Affairs Ministry to defend himself any.

He indicated that the allegations levelled against him is mischievous and is ready to appear before any committee with all the necessary documentation to clear his name.

Alhaji Said Sinare also added that he did not issue the amount involved ($60.000.00) and has nothing to do with it since everything was handled by the finance ministry and the then Foreign Affairs ministry.

The firm, Glinco Construction Engineering Limited was said to have allegedly been paid the said amount by the then Ghana’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alhaji Said Sinare, and a former Head of Chancery, Mr Martin Adu Ago, on January 3, 2017.

At the committee's sitting at Parliament House in Accra, the issue of when Glinco Construction was registered with the Registrar-General’s Department became a bone of contention.

While the Auditor-General’s (A-G’s) report of 2018 said the company was incorporated on January 7, 2017, three days after the said amount had been paid, a memo written by the ministry and shown to the auditors at the sitting indicated that the company was registered in 2013, hence the directive by the Chairman of the committee, Dr James Klutse Avedzi.

He gave the directive when the ministry appeared before the committee to respond to some infractions cited against it in the 2018 A-G’s report.

The acting Chief Director of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mr Ramses Joseph Cleland, later told the media that once his outfit had been directed to verify the issue, he could not comment on the matter.