Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ernest Aryeetey, has dismissed fraud allegations against him in a $64 million agreement with Africa Integras during his tenure of office.
According to the former Vice-Chancellor “There is no scandal at all in relation to the $64.4 million contract,†he signed during his tenure.
The University of Ghana entered into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with Africa Integras on August 14, 2015, to invest US$64m in the construction of 1,000 new students' hostel beds for undergraduate and post-graduate students.
However, recent media reports have accused Prof Aryeetey of engaging in a fraudulent deal.
Professor Aryeetey, at a press conference on Wednesday, November 29 said Africa Integras signed an agreement that they were supposed to spend that money.
“As far as I know, by the time the project stopped, they had spent about $28 million. How does a phoney company come and spend $28 million? You can see the buildings coming up and yet it has been written that I have signed an agreement with a phoney company. We haven’t spent any money ourselves, it’s the ‘phony’ company that’s spending the money; how does a phoney company put up buildings?†Professor Aryeetey asked.
He said the allegations of fraud against him is not true because there was transparency in the signing of the contract and he was not bribed.
“I was never offered any money by any of the persons we dealt with. I have never asked for anything nor have I taken money from anybody in relation to this or any other project. Any suggestions of wrongdoing will be completely misplaced.â€
Professor Ernest Aryeetey concluded that halting the project will mean putting a hold to the strategic plan, and denying many young Ghanaians who would have had a chance to go to the University, and we are making it impossible for good research to be done.
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