…Group drags him to CHRAJ for alleged corruption

The Progressive Nationalist Forum, a pressure group, has dragged the Chief Executive of the Food and Drugs Board, Dr Stephen Opuni, to the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for abusing public office and malfeasance.

A copy of a petition signed by Richard Kwasi Nyamah, filed at the Commission and made available to your authoritative New Crusading Guide stated that the Forum had accurate and detailed information that showed possible corruption in the offices of the Food and Drugs Board.

The statement noted that sometime between July and September 2009, the current CEO rented a residential accommodation at Kanda, a suburb of Accra, at a cost of US$3,500 per month. The statement said that the CEO pressurized the management of the Board to pay a two-year advance rate bill of US$84,000 to enable him occupy the said apartment.

The Forum further underscored that the said transaction took place under circumstances which suggested possible corruption since it was done without the authorization of the Governing Board of FDB. It believes that the CEO might have a hand in the increase of the rent charges for the office space of FDB from US$7,000 per month to US$12,000 a month. Its reason was that the transaction was done without the authorization of the Governing Board of the FDB, suggesting a possible corruption.

PNF stated further that since Dr. Opuni assumed office as CEO of the FDB, transactions and activities of the Board had been done without recourse to the Governing Board, raising serious queries about their appropriateness and hinting of serious irregularities. “Included in this is the closure of shops, banning of products and the procurement of a Land Cruiser for the use of the CEO”, it noted.

The group has therefore, requested the Commission to launch a full scale probe or enquiry into these allegations, recommend the prosecution of the CEO after he has been investigated for abusing public office and committed act of conflict of interest and corruption.