‘CMS arson was to destroy evidence of fraud’

Some officials of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) intentionally engineered the fire outbreak that consumed the Central Medical Stores (CMS) in January last year, in an attempt to destroy incriminating evidence of massive fraud against them, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong has revealed.

“According to the report by National Security, the fire was deliberately set to destroy evidence of theft and massive fraud and widespread irregularities on the procurement and distribution of medical supplies involving senior management and junior staff.

“It was established that the fire was deliberately set and that property damaged is worth millions of Ghana cedis. In all, five warehouses storing general pharmaceuticals, surgical dressing materials, stationery and other items were destroyed,” she said at a press conference on Friday 29 January, 2016.

She also disclosed that the prime suspect was on the run and Ghana’s security officials are liaising with Interpol to trace and apprehend him.

“Samuel Dogbe was paid and the motive for the destruction of evidence was for the fact that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) had been tasked to investigate the circumstances surrounding the expiration of a large quantity of drugs and medical items at the CMS. A stock count for all consumables had been slated for 13 January, 2015 to be used for an exhaustive audit of supplies.”

The arson destroyed medical items worth $230million.

The AG said the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) have been tasked to prepare an appropriate docket on 10 other officials suspected to be the brains behind the act for interdiction and prosecutions.

Some of the officials of the GHS indicted include: Peter Ekow Gyimah, former head of CMS; Alhaji Yusif, member of the interim management committee; Abdul Karim Iddrisu, acting head of the CMS; Gifty Esi McArthur, principal pharmacist and warehouse manager; Ziboat Doe, warehouse manager; Ibrahim Laryea Amartey, warehouse manager; Kwame Foli, warehouse manager; Victorian Anin , senior supply officer; James Benjamin Annan, pharmacist and systems analyst; and Peter Atiaba Addah, store keeper