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The National Bureau of Investigation (NIB) arrested the CEO of Bluegrass Group Ltd, Kwadwo Darko-Mensah, also known as Onasis.
The suspect will reportedly assist in an ongoing investigation into the acquisition of some 853,000 pieces of mathematical sets.
Mr. Darko-Mensah is said to be a local agent for an international company, Cornfield Group Ltd, which was mandated to deliver a total of 853,000 pieces of math games at a cost of ¢ 75 per unit.
The contract that was awarded by the Ministry of Education in September 2019 was not fulfilled when the products were not delivered on time or in full.
Local online portal Mynewsgh reported that 853,000 math sets were supposed to be delivered to students who placed themselves for the 2020 West African High School Certificate Exam (WASSCE).
However, due to WASSCE’s schedule, the contract was treated as “urgent” and was awarded to Mr. Darko-Mensah’s company without any tender in September 2019.
Bluegrass Limited also received a free tax exemption of $ 3.6 million from the government on the recommendation of the then Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, and was subsequently approved by Parliament.
But subsequent research revealed that no 2020 WASSCE students received any math sets from the government.
An independent research and policy institute, the Institute for Educational Studies (IFEST) asked the government why mathematical sets that were obtained exclusively at a “high price” were never delivered on time for the very purpose that was labeled “urgent.” .
The Institute also criticized the validity of the single contracting procedure adopted.
At ¢ 75 per mathematical set, the total contract was ¢ 63,975,675. However, Blueglass Limited was unable to deliver within the agreed time.
Blueglass Limited was said to have later issued public relations statements, announcing that it had delivered the “first shipment” without giving any figures, even long after the WASSCE ended.
Opoku Prempeh Checkout at Bluegrass Ltd
Upon being nominated by President Akufo-Addo to the Ministry of Energy, Dr. Opoku-Prempeh appeared before Parliament’s Nominating Committee for consideration on Friday.
When asked about the math games contract and the arrest and detention of Bluegrass Ltd CEO Kwadwo Darko-Mensah, the then Minister of Education said: “I didn’t know him from anywhere.”
