-Chief Director Faces EOCO Probe
The Chief Director of the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, Rev Stephen Yaw Osei, has been hauled to the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) for investigations over abuse of office.
It comes amidst accusations against the man of God he has supervised multiple sale of state lands to different companies under the erstwhile Akufo-Addo government.
A similar petition has been sent to the sector Minister Kenneth Gilbert Adjei.
The aggrieved company, Around The Clock Construction Limited, is accusing the Chief of Director of unlawfully selling portions of UNDP Flats land located at Cantonments in Accra to different companies.
The petition dated August 15, addressed to the Executive Director of EOCO, Raymond Archer said the UNDP Flats land was previously awarded to Around The Clock in 2016 under what was called ‘the Redevelopment of the UNDEP flats project’.
However, due to the loss of the John Mahama government in the December election, the same year, the company was forcefully driven out of site by the then ‘Invisible Forces’, a group of militants within the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
They allegedly took over the place and illegally occupied the site as squatters for a number of years.
Years later, in 2024, Around The Clock said in the petition signed by one Ebenezer Denzel Amanor that, Rev Osei dubiously entered into a separate Redevelopment agreement with a new contractor by name Joberg Construction, when the earlier contract with them was still not abrogated.
The Chief Director’s illegal acts did not end there.
He allegedly connived with another contractor Amantra Limited (owned by Berchie) to sell a portion (0.53 acre) of the same flats land to one Cynthia Adjei of Lysaro Group for US$1.2 million.
So, in the process, the said land was sold to five different companies. The companies are Joberg Construction, Amantra Limited, Lysaro Group (Cynthia Adjei), Unique Shalom Properties Ghana Limited and then a Chinese firm Zhang You and Jackie Chan.
“In addition to the above, the Chief Director had connived with another contractor, Amantra Limited (owned by Berchie) to sell a portion (0,53 acre) of the UNDP flat land to Cynthia Adjei of Lysaro Group for US$1.2 million.
The Chief Director schemingly sold the land to Amnatra Limited (Berchie), who in turn ‘sold’ it to another company of his, Unique Shalom Properties Ghana Limited. Bercihe then tried selling it to a Chinese company by name Zhang You and Jackie Chan, before finally selling it to Cynthia Adjei.
This is how the Chief Director dubiously sells state lands to hide the trail. When he was questioned about the sale of the property, he denied any knowledge if it, claiming the Ministry executed it on his blind side”, the petition said.
Later, in a meeting with officials of the Ministry, Around The Clock said the Chief Director admitted to the company being the one with the valid contract for the UNDP flats project and moved to site except to indicate that “the scope of work was ‘renovation’ and not ‘redevelopment’.
According to Around The Clock, this assertion by the Chief Director is completely false. “This statement is false and we challenge the Chief Director to prove it.”
The construction company asserts that neither the Chief Director nor the Ministry had the right to enter into a double contract for the same project- “It is obvious that the Chief Director took these actions out of greed for his personal gain”.
Around The Clock said “I am gravely concerned that Rev Stephen Yaw Osei’s conduct is not only unlawful but also constitute a serious abuse of public office. His actions violate the President’s Code of Conduct for public officials and undermine public trust in the rule of law”.
It therefore called on EOCO to do three things: To investigate the conduct of the Chief Director for the UNDP Flat redevelopment project, investigate the illegal sale of the said state land to Cynthia Adjei of Lysaro group fame.
And lastly, investigate and verify the personal records of Rev Osei because they suspect he has tampered with his age.
“It is alleged that he has falsified documents pertaining to his age to remain a public servant for a longer period to continue benefitting from his corrupt ways at the loss of the State. He is 62 years old as of the date of his petition but claims to be 55.”