The Chairman of the government’s Asset Retrieval Committee, ACP Aboagye Nyarko, has strongly dismissed reports that officials of the task force stormed the private residence of former Youth and Sports Minister in search of stolen state vehicles.
According to him, he was surprised by Nii Lantey Vanderpuije’s insistence that the force raided his residence Tuesday.
The Odododiodoo Member of Parliament who confirmed the incident to the Starr Today’s Benard Nasara Saibu said “I don’t have a state vehicle in my possession” and that he returned the four wheel drive but was made to buy the car he was using—a Toyota Ayensis.
He described as uncivilized the force’s modus operandi.
Mr. Vanderpuije is the fourth high profile National Democratic Congress (NDC) personality whose residence has been stormed over missing State vehicles.
The first was the National Organiser of the NDC Mr. Kofi Adams then James Agyenim Boateng of the office of the former Vice President, the MP for Sekyere Afram Plains Alex Mensah and an NDC constituency secretary at Trobu.
According to the chairman of the Executive Assets Sub Committee of the Transition Team, Ayikoi Otoo, 234 state-owned vehicles are still missing after the change of government.
But commenting on the development Wednesday on Morning Starr, ACP Nyarko said the committee has not sent anyone to the legislator’s residence and that he was surprised by attempts to link the committee to the incident.
“We don’t work like that. The committee is made up of people of integrity from the BNI, the CEPs, the DVLA and the CID”.
Due diligence
According to him, before the force embarks on asset retrieval mission it does due diligence, stating that they abide by the “rules of the game” and that as a lawyer, he would not condone disregard for due diligence.
“I don’t think I will go by this kangaroo thing,” he stated.
Distancing the force from the raid at the former Minister’s residence, ACP Nyarko said whoever embarked on that mission “maybe did it on his own.”