Maj Gen Sampson Adeti, Chief of Staff, General Headquarters, of the Ghana Armed Forces at Burma Camp, has been indicted for allegedly appropriating a Nissan Hard-body double-cabin vehicle donated to the Southern Command of the Ghana Army by the Bank of Ghana.
Following the publication of the story by DAILY GUIDE, a summary investigation into the alleged misconduct was ordered by the then Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Maj Gen RK Opoku Adusei.
According to the investigative report – a copy of which is in the possession of DAILY GUIDE – the army officer is said to have misconducted himself for hiding the vehicle from his superiors ostensibly to ‘pocket’ it.
The cover on the alleged stealing by the army chief was blown by a request made by Adeti’s successor, Brig M Whajah, GOC, Southern Command, who made a request to the Bank of Ghana for operational support and was informed that the bank donated a pick-up van to the command.
With no traces of the vehicle – registered GN 4240-15 – in the inventories of the Southern Command, the new officer called for more details which led to visiting the Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) for the registration details and the custodian of the vehicle. And it turned out that Adeti was keeping it in his garage on the blind side of the army.
Despite the damning report, Major Gen Adeti, who was then a Brigadier General, was promoted by the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration under President John Dramani Mahama – the Commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces.
The report found out that the army officer had breached military standards in respect of donated items to the Ghana Armed Forces, in spite of which however, he was promoted to the rank of Maj Gen; and the COAS who commissioned the investigation retired from the military.
The senior officer who investigated the issue, Brig RY Odoi, was also sent to the US on attachment at the Ghana Mission. Brig Gen Odoi was the General Officer Commanding the Northern Command of the Army
Recommendations
The COAS, following the investigations, endorsed the findings and recommendations of the sole investigator.
Brig Gen Adeti was found to have dishonestly appropriated the vehicle. “The fact that he drove the vehicle straight from the Bank of Ghana to his Juba Villas residence without informing neither HQ Southern Command nor Army HQ using his residential number, personal phone and e-mail address to complete the transfer of ownership and changing the colour of the vehicle from white to dark grey were all indicative of his intention to usurp the vehicle,” the COAS observed in the report.
He was also nailed for deliberately leaving no traces of all correspondences and documents in respect of the said vehicle.
The report recommended that the General suffer disciplinary action for dishonest appropriation of the said vehicle contrary to Section 52 of the Ghana Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105).
The misconduct, according to the report, constituted a breach of trust in respect of his position as a Superior Commander, contrary to Section 54 (a) of the Ghana Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105).
Following the developments, there was a backlash on social media from a cross-section of men and women in the military.
Maj Gen Adeti claimed when DAILY GUIDE engaged him in his office at the General Headquarters, Burma Camp, that the vehicle was his personal one, having been given to him for his invaluable services to the central bank – a claim that has been debunked by the Governor of the Bank of Ghana.
Portions of the Report of the ‘Summary Investigations into allegations of misconduct involving Brigadier General SK Adeti’ follow:
“The ‘Daily Guide’ and ‘Day Break’ newspapers published on 10 Jun, 16 and 14 Jun, 16 respectively, articles alleging the dishonest appropriation by Brig SK Adeti of a double cabin Nissan pickup reg no GN 4240-15 officially donated to HQ S/Comd by Bank of Ghana(BoG) on 18 Sep, 15.
“The two stories generated a lot negative interest and social media comments nationwide and among troops at GAF. Some of the comments impugned the lack of integrity of Brig Gen SK Adeti and the Ghana Armed Forces hierarchy. The Military High Command was further challenged to investigate the matter and take appropriate disciplinary action should the matter published in the newspapers be found to be true.
Army HQ in response to the article instituted a summary investigation into the newspaper allegations leveled against SK Adeti.”
Persons interviewed as part of the investigation were Brig SK Adeti, COS, GHQ; Brig M Whajah, GOC, Southern Command; Col. R. Gyane, Director, Plan GHQ (PR&D); Col EK Commey, Provost Marshal; Mr. Daniel Osei-Bio, Regional Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority; Mr. Yaw Afrifa-Mensah, Head of Security BoG; Alhaji AR Gomda, DAILY GUIDE and Prince Prah, Editor Day Break newspaper.
It is important to note that SK Adeti passed uncomplimentary remarks about AR Gomda and the DAILY GUIDE excerpts of which follow: “The investigations ostensibly, following the Daily Guide publications, are part of the ‘grand design’ especially over the last few months, to malign and discredit me. There is also a strong suspicion, as indicated by the Daily Guide reporter whom most people know consider ‘bounty hunters’ and would publish anything to discredit people, that the initial allegation was leveled by GOC Southern Command. His motives for doing so must be examined especially in the face of several military issues and concerns being put in the domain of social media”.
The following were highlights of the findings against SK Adeti who regardless of these, was promoted to the rank of Maj Gen by the Armed Forces Council, without doubt, upon the acquiescence of then President John Mahama and Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, Chairman of the Armed Forces Council, as though to spite the report.
“Brig Adeti as a senior officer and GOC at the time, ought to have known this procedure (receiving donations to the military) and complied with it. When questioned as to why he didn’t do so, he replied that he was aware of the procedure but did not think it was necessary to do so in respect of the donation of the pickup.
“For unexplained reasons, all correspondences and documents pertaining to the request, approval and donation of Nissan Pickup reg no GN 4240 15 to HQ S/C have been removed or vanished from all files at HQ S/Comd and do not exist on any file or office in GAF. This case of missing documents is contrary to Section 250 of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 and Section 54 (a) of the Ghana Armed Forces Act 1962 (Act 105).”
Brig Adeti in the course of the raging controversy, handed over the vehicle to the Provost Marshal on 18 June, 16 with the expression that he was doing so out of his own volition. He had earlier stated that he did not know the location of the spare key and documents covering the said pickup.
Another critical portion of the report states, “The act or conduct of Brig Gen SK Adeti in declining to disclose or surrender the said vehicle at the time it was donated, but rather to decide to do so on 18 June, 16 after publications in the press on 10 and 14 June, 16 respectively and after the Army HQ Convening Order for a Summary Investigation on 17 June, 16; is prejudicial to good order and discipline contrary to Section 54 of the Ghana Armed Forces Act 1962 (Act 105).”
