Three Witnesses failed to appear before Tagoe Committee

Accra (Greater Accra), 11 May ‘99 –

Three young men said to have been cheated by one Solo, a Sub-Contractor for the fixing of the Accra and Kumasi sports Stadium seats, on Monday failed to appear before the Tagoe Committee to substantiate their allegations.

The three are Isaac Armah, Jacob Laryea and Kwaku Attipoe. This is the second time, (after Mr William Fayorsey, a Journalist), that witnesses have failed to appear before the committee to substantiate allegations made in connection with the purported improper award of the contract for the rehabilitation of the Accra and Kumasi Stadiums.

In a letter dated Thursday, May six, and copied to the Chairman of the committee, Lt.-colonel Emmanuel Tagoe (rtd), the young men alleged that Solo had paid them only 150 cedis for the fixing of a seat instead of the agreed 1,000 cedis.

The letter appealed to the committee to help retrieve the difference of 850 cedis per seat on the over 10,000 seats they have fixed so far at both stadiums.

Mr Mohammed Amgad Samir, Project Manager of Arab Contractors, reacting to the allegations, said after his outfit took delivery of the first consignment, experts from Compopraha of the Czech Republic, suppliers of the seats, were in the country to inspect and to give advice on how the seats should be fixed.

He said subsequently, Solo was sub-contracted for the job at a price still under discussion.

Mr Samir admitted that the price for the fixing of a seat could be more than what the young men were quoting but he was not in a position to give the exact figure.

He has therefore, been instructed to produce Solo and a copy of the agreement at the committee's sitting on Tuesday.

Mr Samir said normally the job is executed before the total cost is presented by the sub-contractor to the main contractors.

He said supply of the 36,400 seats at a cost of 1.3 billion cedis could be higher because the contractors are yet to add the cost of fixing.

GRi…/