Two persons have been detained while other officials of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in four districts of the Upper East Region are under investigation over the 12,000 fake fertilizer coupons scandal.
The suspects were caught in the region using fake fertilizer coupons to secure subsidized fertilizer (NPK and Urea) from the planting for food and jobs program.Afcott Ghana limited, Omni Fert Limited, AGM limited and Chemico limited were fertilizer companies that were affected by the fake fertilizer coupons.
The others are Iddisal company limited, Yara Ghana limited and Marco Fertile limited.
In an interview with Citi News monitored by Prime News Ghana, the Upper East Regional Director of MOFA, Francis Ennor expressed shock at the development which occurred at the Pusiga, Garu, Talensi districts and Bawku Municipality.
“We realized that some people had printed fake coupons which have different serial numbers from the original coupons sent from Accra and they are using it to buy fertilizers. So, when the fertilizer companies sent the coupons for payments, they were scanned and they detected over 12, 000 fake fertilizer coupons''.
Upper East Regional Director of MOFA, Francis Ennor
READ MORE:Smuggling of fertilizer a hindrance to Food &Job agenda
The arrested persons will be arraigned before the Bolgatanga high court on Friday 26th October 2018.
Mr. Ennor also disclosed that some of MOFA officials in the affected districts were involved in the issuance and endorsement of fake fertilizer coupons.
“Our district officers’ names are there because they endorsed the coupons. The AEA who issued the coupons are there, but the signatures and stamps on the coupons are different.â€
“Imagine Talensi, we don’t have Talensi-Nabdam district but the stamp at the back of the coupon is Talensi-Nabdam, and in Bawku too, they use Bawku East instead of Bawku municipal''.
"And the Director at Pusiga used a black pen to sign all the coupons that he usedâ€.
He reiterated the commitment of MOFA and security agencies in the region to investigate and bring the perpetrators of the crime to book.
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