The government has instructed the National Security to pursue former government officials who have refused to return their officials vehicles that they had no right to take away. It has so far recovered 99 vehicles from ex-government officials in the erstwhile New Patriotic Party administration. A Deputy Information Minister, James Agyenim Boateng told Parliament Thursday that the 99 vehicles had been distributed among ministers, their deputies and other persons providing support services to the government. He named Ms Elizabeth Ohene, former Minister in charge of Tertiary Education, former Upper West Regional Minister, George Hickah Benson, former Deputy Local Government Minister, Maxwell Kofi Jumah as some of the people who were still keeping their vehicles and who will be pursued by the National Security. Justifying the government’s decision to retrieve some of the vehicles, Mr Agyenim Boateng quoted a letter purportedly written by the former Chief of Staff, Mr Kwadwo Mpiani setting out the circumstances under which a government official could buy his official vehicle on leaving office. In that letter, Mr Mpiani is quoted as saying that while many government officials were applying to buy their official cars, “a notable characteristic of these requests is that they do not take the ages of the vehicles into consideration with the result that attempts are made to acquire relatively new vehicles at the expense of the organisations concerned. As a guide in the acquisition of old official vehicles, it is announced for the information of all ministers, departments and agencies, (MDAs) that such vehicles should not be less than two years old and their sale should not create difficulties for the organisations.” The Deputy Information Minister said former government functionaries who had returned their vehicles had been paid monies due them and that those who had not received their money had their cheques prepared for payments to be effected. Soon after coming into office, security operatives working in the name of the government went on car seizing spree causing government, former ministers and some private individuals some embarrassment necessitating apologies from the presidency in some cases. But the government largely defended its actions. Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana