Accra: The Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) has urged the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) to disclose the findings of the 2015 Central Medical Stores (CMS) fire investigations. ASEPA argued that transparency was crucial for accountability and to restore public confidence in the handling of such incidents.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Thompson Mensah, the Executive Director of ASEPA, expressed concern at a press conference in Accra about the nine-year delay in releasing the findings of the CMS fire investigation. He stated that the prolonged wait was troubling, as it allowed potential accomplices to remain unaccountable.
Mr. Mensah pointed out that there are indications EOCO has completed its comprehensive investigations on the 2015 Central Medical Stores fire, yet the findings have not been released to the media or the public. He demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of Mr. Romeo Caleb Kofi Tetteh, the former Head of the Central Medical Stores and Acting
Head of Procurement at the Ministry of Health, along with his eleven suspected accomplices by the Special Prosecutor.
The devastating fire outbreak at the CMS resulted in the loss of medical supplies valued at $80 million. Preliminary investigations conducted by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) suggested that the incident may have been an act of arson.
Mr. Mensah also called for the immediate release of the investigations report related to the Sputnik V vaccine procurement, which resulted in the interdiction and eventual termination of Mr. Caleb Kofi Tetteh’s appointment. He emphasized that disclosing the report was essential for bringing closure to the issue and ensuring that anyone found guilty of wrongdoing faces legal consequences.