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Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has described recent revelations surrounding the sale of Metro Mass Transit buses as a troubling reflection of weak accountability and entrenched impunity in the management of state assets.
Reacting to disclosures on KeyPoints about buses allegedly sold at unusually low prices, Mr Kpebu said the details emerging so far raise serious red flags that cannot be ignored and must be thoroughly investigated.
“For me, it starts with the revelations. That is why these disclosures are important,” he said on January 24, stressing that transparency is the first step toward accountability.
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Mr Kpebu expressed particular concern over inconsistencies in the valuation of the buses, questioning how a bus reportedly sold for about GH¢3,000 could later be valued at over GH¢38,000, even after major components 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.
According to him, such contradictions make it imperative to establish the true condition of the buses at the time they were disposed of.
“We need to establish the facts. What exactly had broken down?” he asked.
The outspoken lawyer was quick to dismiss suggestions that investigations into the matter would amount to political persecution, insisting that accountability should not be politicised.
“This is a form of accountability,” Mr Kpebu stressed.
He argued that punishing wrongdoing, where proven, would send a strong signal and help curb the abuse of public resources.
“Once people are punished, it becomes a deterrent. The impunity is what is frustrating,” he said.
Mr Kpebu further described the situation as part of a broader pattern in Ghana’s political landscape, where successive governments allegedly shield each other from scrutiny.
“One political party comes, things happen. Another comes, and it’s like ‘you scratch my back, I scratch your back’,” he observed.
While acknowledging that such practices have occurred under different administrations, he expressed cautious optimism that the current governance reset agenda could help break the cycle.
“Truth be told, it happens in every regime. But we are hoping this time will be different,” he said.
Mr Kpebu noted that although obtaining direct or “hardcore” evidence in cases involving state asset mismanagement can be difficult, patterns of conduct alone can justify investigations.
“You may not always get hardcore evidence immediately, but when you look at the patterns, you know there is a problem,” he stated.
He therefore called on state investigative bodies, particularly the Office of the Special Prosecutor, to take up the matter decisively.
“Let the appropriate institutions take it up. If we get prosecutions, these things will stop,” he added.
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