The Board of the Zongo Development Fund(ZoDF) has clarified that the CEO of the Fund, Arafat Sulemana Abdulai has ratified the procurement processes in the purchase of Personal Procurement Equipment (PPE) to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

An investigation by Corruption Watch an anti-graft group uncovered that the Fund allegedly engaged in malpractices in the purchase of goods, services and works worth ¢5 million.

The management of ZoDF allegedly superintended procurement breaches such as inflation of contract figures and breaching of entity head’s threshold.

Corruption Watch established that ¢200,000 of the ¢5 million was spent on a contract for personal protective equipment for COVID-19.

However, the Board of ZoDF in a statement signed by its Chairman, Rear Admiral Mohammed Munir Tahiru (Retired) explained that “at the time the items were procured, the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) and indeed, many public institutions were not fully operational in compliance with the partial lockdown measures announced by the President. Meanwhile, the PPEs were urgently needed to save lives.

“Subsequent to procuring the items, the Chief Executive Officer of Zongo Development Fund, Arafat Sulemana Abdulai wrote to PPA in accordance with Section 90 (3) (c) of Act 663 as amended to request for ratification of the procurement processes for the items. By this action, the CEO subjected himself to investigation and has ratified the procurement processes,” the statement added.

Responding to the allegation that an amount of GHC4.8 million (GHc5,000,000 less cost of PPEs – GHc200,000) was spent on goods and services without an approved procurement plan, the Board emphasized that all items procured were in accordance with the Zongo Development Fund procurement plan.