The
police have arrested the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Constituency
Vice-Chairman of Mfantsiman in the Central Region for selling subsidized
outboard motors.
David
Awotwe was this week exposed by freelance investigative journalist, Manasseh
Azure Awuni, for using his late uncle’s fishing gears to acquire government’s
subsidised outboard motor and selling it above the subsidised price.
The
Mfantsiman Municipal Chief Executive who confirmed the arrest said the case has
been transferred from the Saltpond police, where he lodged the complaint after
the investigative journalist’s revelation, to the Divisional Police
Headquarters in Mankessim.
The
40-horsepower Yamaha outboard motors cost close to ¢20,000 in the market but
the government gave it to the fisherman at ¢10,000.
However,
there have been widespread concerns in the Central Region that some party
executives and members of the governing NPP have wrongfully acquired the
outboard motors using their political connections and are selling them beyond
the subsidised prices.
The
40-horsepower Yamaha outboard motor costs close to ¢20,000 on the market but
government gave the outboard motors to the fishermen at a subsidised price of
¢10,000.
The
canoe fishermen were supposed to register with details of their canoes and pay
to the bank before being allocated the outboard motors.
However,
there are widespread reports that executives of the governing NPP have hijacked
the outboard motors and now sell them above the subsidised price.
In
August, canoe fishermen in Elmina held a press conference and called on the
government to investigate the illegal activities of party people because the
practice defeated the subsidy initiative.
Mr
Azure Awuni and his team went undercover in to expose the practice.
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