Branded bus saga: AG to chase Smartty's for GH¢1.9 million refund

The Chief of Staff Mr. Julius Debrah has, upon receipt of the Attorney General’s report on the spraying and branding of 116 new buses procured for the Metro Mass Transit Company Limited, requested the Attorney General and Minister for Justice to recover from Messrs Smartty’s Management Limited, a total of GH¢1.9 million, which is determined in the report to be excess payment made for the service rendered.

The Chief of Staff last week requested the Attorney General to conduct an urgent review of the contract following concerns raised about the cost of the spraying and branding exercise.

In her report submitted on Tuesday, the Attorney General, Mrs. Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong found that there were no cost comparisons to what was submitted by Smartty’s Management because of the method of procurement and the procedures used.

The procurement method, the report noted, did not also ensure value for money.

Independent consultations made by the Attorney Genera