The controversy surrounding the disappearance of over 1,350 Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) containers from Tema Harbour has taken a new turn. Formal ECG Managing Director Samuel Dubik Mahama has expressed frustration over the handling of the investigation, calling for a more rigorous and transparent probe.

Mahama’s comments come after Energy Minister John Abdulai Jinapor revealed that security operatives had traced 40 of the missing containers to a warehouse in Pong-Tamale. However, Mahama criticized the investigative process, stating that the committee had failed to engage key figures, including himself.

“The fact remains that containers do not just disappear; they are either misplaced or redirected,” Mahama stated. He also rejected claims that the containers were missing, suggesting instead that they had been “misplaced”.

According to Mahama, some of the containers were auctioned off by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) due to prolonged overstay. He recalled that before leaving office, ECG had raised concerns about these auctions but received no response from the GRA.

Mahama called for greater transparency in the probe, emphasizing that the issue should not be clouded by misinformation. He also questioned contradictions in the investigative report, pointing out that some contracts mentioned were not signed during his tenure.

The former ECG boss assured his full cooperation with any forensic audit initiated by the Energy Minister, stating that his intent was not to evade the matter but to provide clarity.

Meanwhile, Mustapha Gbande, Deputy Director in charge of Operations at the Presidency, has demanded the arrest of Mahama, former ECG Board Chairman Alexander Afenyo-Markin, and former Energy Minister Matthew Opoku Prempeh over the disappearance of the containers.

The controversy has sparked outrage, with calls for a full-scale investigation into the matter. The Energy Minister has assured that the government is taking steps to recover the missing containers and prevent such incidents in the future.