NEWS REPORT
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Professor Ghartey Ampiah has been fingered in some illegalities amid blatant disregard for the Public Procurement Act and Audit recommendations.
A Management Letter on the Accounts of University of Cape Coast (UCC) has revealed for the period 1st January, 2018 to December 31, 2018, the University led by the Vice Chancellor engaged a company incorporated in Unite Kingdom, KLEOS UK Ltd for the provision of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Services to the University.
In that contract, the VC paid KLEOS UK Ltd an amount of GH¢451,530.00 without recourse to the Public Procurement Act, and also disregard recommendations made by Auditors to that effect.
In that Letter, Auditors, after discovering all the anomalies that came along with the said contract, recommended that the Vice Chancellor forward the Build Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT) Agreement he entered into on behalf of the University with KLEOS UK Ltd to the University Council, Minister of Education and Minister of Finance for rectification.
“Failing which the agreement should be suspended and all cost incurred may be surcharged against the Vice Chancellor,” the letter indicated.
Also, it was stated that the University should seek concurrent approval of the same contract from the Public Procurement Authority.
Information received indicates that, the Vice Chancellor Professor Ghartey Ampiah refused to honour these recommendations.
It was also established during the Audit that the VC, Professor Ghartey Ampiah also entered into a ten (10) year Build Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT) Agreement with the same company, KLEOS UK ltd for the provision of ICT services at a cost of $300,000.00 per year.
For the ten years in question, the University was to pay a total of $3,000,000.00 for which contract, approval was not sought from the University Council, the Minister of Education and Public Procurement Authority.
The VC, according to documents available committed the University to such financial obligation without recourse to the University Council but only allowed the Director of ICT services, Dr Regina Gyampoh-Vidogah to witness the said agreement.
Another interesting revelation is that, there had been a contract for the procurement of Information Technology Service from Vertebra Limited for the College of Distance Education and Central Administration.
It was revealed that the GH¢397,602.00 contract was signed with the company without recourse to the Public Procurement Act and both the Vice Chancellor and the Provost of College of Distance Education were demanded to contact the Public Procurement Authority for concurrent approval of the contract to regularize that contract agreement.
