CHRAJ chases former GHS Director over 5 ‘stolen’ vehicles

• Posted on January 19, 2017
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has moved into full gear, investigating the whereabouts of five (5) allegedly stolen vehicles belonging to the Upper East Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

The Commission has in effect, written to the Regional Director, Ghana Health Service, Upper East Region, Bolgatanga, Dr. Kofi Issah, requesting him to assist investigate Dr. Kuoku Awonoor-Williams, whom he took over from as the Upper East Director of the Ghana Health Service and the Director-General of the GHS, Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira.

The duo, Dr. Awoonor-Williams and Dr. Appiah-Denkyira, are at the center of the alleged stolen five (5) vehicles belonging to the Upper East Directorate of the GHS.

Dr. Kuoku Awoonor-Williams, then Director of Health Services in the Upper East Region, was transferred to Accra in 2015 and was replaced by Dr. Kofi Issah.

At the end of 2015 when stock was taken of the vehicles available to the Service in the Upper East Region after Dr. Awoonor-Williams had left the Region, it was realized that five of the vehicles, namely a Mitsubishi Pajero, Landcruiser V8, VW Passat and two pickups could not be accounted for.

Dr. Awoonor-Williams, according to inside sources, secretly took the five (5) vehicles belonging to the Upper East Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service without following laid down procedures for moving public property from one location to the other.

The Transport Unit of the Upper East Regional Health Directorate and the Director who took over from Dr. Awoonor-Williams had no prior knowledge of the movement of the five (5) vehicles from the Region.

Dr. Awoonor-Williams, according to sources familiar with the situation, has put some or all the five (5) vehicles to his private use and has since resisted efforts to retrieve those vehicles back to the Upper East Region.

The Commission in a letter dated November 16, 2016 and signed by D.C. Hammond, Deputy Chief Investigator, is demanding copies of the transfer letter of Dr. Kofi Issah to the Upper East Region as Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service as well as the handing over notes he received from Dr. Awoonor-Williams to assist in investigations.

The Commission also wants Dr. Issah to furnish it with the list of vehicles at the Regional Directorate at the time of his assumption of office at Bolgatanga, and indicating which of them were designated as project vehicles.

“Your response, together with the documents should reach the offices of the Commission located at the Old Parliament House, High Street Accra, within twelve (12) days on receipt of this letter,” the letter in part stated.

Persons familiar with the situation say the GHS Council has not been so helpful in resolving the situation.

-kasapafmonline