Accra Sky Train: Joe Ghartey says he did not authorize payment of $2million for project
A former Minister of Railways Development, Joe Ghartey, has dismissed allegations that the ministry under his stewardship authorised a US$2 million payment to a Mauritius-based company for the Accra Sky Train project.
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Mr Ghartey clarified that the payment was instead made by the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), not the ministry.
The Minority side in Parliament had criticized the government for the payment of US$2 million to a Mauritius-based company for the Accra Sky Train project, claiming that it was made without the necessary parliamentary and public procurement approvals.
However, Mr. Ghartey refuted these claims during a radio interview on the programme Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Monday evening, stating that the Minority members were spreading propaganda.
Mr. Ghartey explained that in projects like the Accra Sky Train, it is the GIIF that handles payments. He suggested that if the Minority wanted answers regarding the payment, they should direct their inquiries to the GIIF and involve the Auditor General's office.
Regarding the project itself, Mr. Ghartey clarified that the South African company involved was meant to return to Ghana, but the outbreak of COVID-19 prevented this from happening. As a result, his engagement with the South Africans ended without any discussions about payments.
He further emphasized that his ministry did not provide any funds to the company and that he did not possess the authority to make such payments.
Mr. Ghartey stated that the GIIF, as a statutory corporation, was responsible for making such payments and encouraged further inquiries to be directed towards them.
