THE MUNICIPAL Chief Executive (MCE) for Asante Akyem North, Francis Oti Boateng says the Assembly has commenced checks into files to ascertain details of payments made to its Member of Parliament, Andy Appiah Kubi from the MPs Common Fund for seedlings the latter supplied to the Assembly.

Speaking to this reporter, the MCE said the Assembly has gotten some information from Enock Osafo Asiedu, Assembly Member for Obuasi-Gyidimu electoral area that the seedlings which cost the Assembly one hundred and twenty five thousand Ghana Cedis (125, 000.00) were supplied for free by Yaw Danso, the former DCE for Bosome Freho.

The Municipal Assembly, Mr Oti Boateng said was struggling to believe that they have paid unwarranted monies to its MP, but added that investigations was ongoing to verify the payments and how they were made from the MPs Common Fund.

“I have instructed my officers including the Coordinating Director to look through the files of payment and ascertain the amounts paid to our MP from MPs Common fund and lodge an official complaint to the Public Relations and Compliants Committee (PRCC) to commence investigations into the worrying matters that are coming up”, the MCE noted.

Assembly Member:

Enock Osafo Asiedu, the Assembly member for Obuasi-Gyidimu told this reporter that he was privy to the discussions that led to the delivery of the cashew seedlings to the Municipal Assembly.

He said the items were from Yaw Danso, former DCE for Bosome Freho who said the residents were so engrossed in cocoa plantations that they had refused to use the seedlings he had procured and so decided to give them to Asante Akyem North Assembly who had expressed interest in same.

The only thing, the Assembly member said the MP, Andy Appiah Kubi did was to use his vehicle to ferry the seedlings to the Municipal Assembly.

“Two years ago, I overheard the Coordinating Director and some persons discussing the payment they had made for the seedlings and I was shocked they had paid money for them because I knew it was gotten for free from Yaw Danso, the former DCE for Bosome Freho and so I support every means the Assembly will take to retrieve the illegal payments they made in two tranches of 60, 000 and 65, 000 to our MP, Andy Appiah Kubi”, the Assembly member stated.

Background:

Three years ago, Yaw Danso, the former DCE for Bosome Freho is said to have freely given some cashew seedlings to Asante Akyem North Municipal Assembly after some members who visited the MCE expressed interest in the use of cashew.

The Assembly Members are said to have informed the MP, Andy Appiah Kubi about it and he decided to help them to ferry the cashew seedlings to the Municipal Assembly from Bosome Freho.

The MP, according to some narration from the MCE for Asante Akyem North and some Assembly Members took a whopping sum of 125, 000 cedis for the seedlings claiming he bought them with his common fund.

However, the Assembly member of Obuasi Gyidimu in a blistering manner since Wednesday has revealed that the Assembly got the seedlings for free.

Story By Michael Ofosu-Afriyie, 

Kumasi.