General News of Friday, 24 January 2014

Source: XYZ

Abuga Pele charged for causing financial loss to the state

A former National Coordinator of the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA), Abuga Pele, has been charged with causing financial loss to the state.

He has also been charged with defrauding by false pretences and aiding and abetting crime.

Pele and the CEO of Goodwill International Group were in court today to respond to a total of 19 charges leveled against them.

The two were granted bail. They insist their hands are clean.

Deputy Attorney General, Dr Dominic Ayineh, confirmed the charges to XYZ News.

The prosecution of the former Coordinator and the CEO of Goodwill comes on the heels of a recent assurance given to Ghanaians by Information and Media Relations Minister Mahama Ayariga that President John Mahama will not spare any big fishes found culpable in the whole GYEEDA rot.

The programme which was meant to be a stop gap solution to youth unemployment has been fraught with corruption.

Rlg Communications and ACI were recently directed to refund Ghc55 million to the state. The money was allegedly paid fraudulently.

The Government on January 9, 2014 terminated all service contracts between GYEEDA and its service providers, including Rlg Communication's training module, Asongtaba Cottage Industry & Exchange Programme (ACI&EP) and the Better Ghana Management Services Limited, a subsidiary of Jospong Group, the parent company of Zoomlion.

A letter to that effect, signed by the Chief Director of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Alhaji Abdulai Yakubu, and addressed to the service providers, said: "I am directed to convey to you, Government's decision to discontinue or terminate the contract with immediate effect". "You are hereby requested to continue to have engagements with the Attorney General's Department and Ministry of Justice on your liabilities to GYEEDA and ensure the refund of same to Government", it added.