A member of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, Sam George, says that the letter issued by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) regarding the payment for the coverage of the 13th All African Games has exacerbated the issue.

According to him, no attempts by the Ministry of Youth and Sports to justify or explain their actions will change the fact, noting that the contract is clear what was due to the GBC.

Speaking on News Night on Tuesday, August 20, Mr George said that the contract explicitly states that GBC is entitled to $3.6 million and makes no mention of any third party.

“In fact, in the obligations of the party, it is clear the fee. It is agreed that GBC will provide services in the amount of $3.6 million. It goes on to break all the conditions down and the scope of work.

“When you read the previous page where the scope of work is in the contract, all the things that we are told third-party’s were contracted to do - the contract says GBC will do same. Now if the contract has been signed between Prof. Amin Alhassan on behalf of GBC and Hon. Mustapha Ussif on behalf of the Ministry of Youth and Sports to pay GBC $3.6 million, have you seen any contract, service level arrangement between GBC and any third-party?

“Have you seen any contract stipulating what those third parties are offering and how much they are being paid for those services? Have you also seen anything that disputes the fact that the Minister said he paid in excess of $3.6 million,” he asked.

The Ningo-Prampram Member of Parliament noted that the Director-General of GBC, Prof. Amin Alhassan, claimed his outfit only received $105,000, with evidence to support this.

This, he questioned whether the remaining $3,495,000 was paid directly from the Ministry of Youth and Sports to the third parties without going through GBC.

“Will that not be in flagrant disregard of the contract that they signed? And would that not be in contradiction of what the Minister said because the Minister did not say that in excess of 3 million was paid to GBC and sub-contractors? He said it was paid to GBC, he spoke under oath.

“So if GBC is also saying we only received $105,000, where or who to whom was the $3,495 paid and on what basis,” Mr George asked.

Background

The Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Prof. Amin Alhassan, has clarified that the media house received $105,000, and not $3 million as stated by Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Responding to a query from Sam Nartey George, Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, about the payment status for coverage, Mustapha had stated that full payment had been made.

“GBC was the official broadcaster for the 13th All African Games, and I can confirm that full payment has been made to GBC. I can’t remember the exact amount but I know that it is in the excess of $3 million,” he said.

But reacting to the comment, Prof. Alhassan refuted the claims made by the Minister in an interview on GTV.

"We facilitated payments to foreign third parties who came in to do the production and not for the benefit of GBC. GBC's benefit, I repeat, $105,000 and that is what we got."

Meanwhile, the Ministry is yet to react to the counter-response from GBC.