Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, says revelations surrounding the sale of Metro Mass buses point to a troubling pattern of impunity and weak accountability in the management of state assets.
Reacting to disclosures about buses being sold at unusually low prices on the KeyPoints, Mr. Kpebu said the emerging details raise serious questions that demand thorough investigation.
“For me, it starts with the revelations. That is why these disclosures are important,” he said on January 24.
He questioned how a bus allegedly sold for about GH¢3,000 could later be valued at over GH¢38,000, even after key components such as the engine and back axle had been removed.
“I’m sure it could go for much more, because even after removing the engine and the back axle, it was still valued at GH¢38,000,” he noted.
Mr. Kpebu said these contradictions make it necessary to establish exactly what was wrong with the buses at the time they were sold.
“We need to establish the facts. What exactly had broken down?” he asked.
According to him, properly investigating these transactions is not about political witch-hunting, but accountability.
“This is a form of accountability,” he stressed.
He argued that where wrongdoing is established and offenders are punished, it would serve as a strong deterrent against future abuse of public resources.
“Once people are punished, it becomes a deterrent. The impunity is what is frustrating,” he said.
Mr. Kpebu described the situation as part of a cycle where political actors protect each other across administrations.
“One political party comes, things happen. Another comes, and it’s like ‘you scratch my back, I scratch your back’,” he said.
While acknowledging that such practices have occurred under different governments, he expressed cautious hope that the current reset agenda would help reduce political protection and selective accountability.
“Truth be told, it happens in every regime. But we are hoping this time will be different,” he stated.
Mr. Kpebu also noted that although it is often difficult to obtain direct evidence in such cases, patterns of conduct can still raise legitimate suspicion and justify investigations.
“You may not always get hardcore evidence immediately, but when you look at the patterns, you know there is a problem,” he said.
He called on state investigative bodies, including the Office of the Special Prosecutor, to pursue the matter thoroughly.
“Let the appropriate institutions take it up. If we get prosecutions, these things will stop,” he added.
By Christabel Treve
