COA FS bribe: Allow us to complete investigations – FDA

The authorities of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has, in a statement, called on the general public to allow the FDA board to complete its investigations on Manasseh Azure's latest documentary.

The statement was in response to the piece titled “The Returned Bribe,” which points out issues of bribery against FDA’s Chief Executive Officer.

In the said documentary, the CEO of the FDA, Mrs Delese Mimi Darko, through the head of Legal Affairs at the FDA, Cynthia Dapaah Ntow, allegedly demanded some $100,000 from the manufacturer of COA-FS to enable the authority give COA-FS the permit to advertise and continue selling the product.

In April 2020, the FDA recalled COA FS, food supplement, citing contamination as reasons for the recall asking persons who had already purchased the product to return it product to the manufacturers.

The statement which was signed by the Board Chair of the FDA, Dr Sammy Ohene, said the matter had been under investigation since April 2020 and that the board has set up a committee which is investigating the matter in its entirety

According to the statement, the matter came to the attention of the CEO and was immediately reported to the National Security which has since been conducting the investigations.

“The CEO has reported the matter to the Board Chairman and the Administration is following its internal investigation and disciplinary processes,” the statement said.