The Judicial Service and the Ministry of Education (MOE) together with its agency, the Ghana Education Service (GES), have been cited for financial irregularities by the Public Accounts Committee.
The two institutions with their allied agencies on Tuesday July 06, 2021 appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to answer questions on public funds at their disposal in respect to the Auditor-General Report on their finances for the year ended 31st December 2017.
Officials from the Judicial Service were queried on unaccounted deposit of 46,650 Euros at Tema High Court and their failure to present Bank Statements for the confirmation of revenue lodged amounting to GHS 357,940 to the Auditors.
Another infraction uncovered was the ineffective control of Value Books at Weija District Magistrate Court which irregularities were attributed to Management’s failure to supervise the activities of the Registrar.
The officials were also cited for excess retention of Internally Generated Funds totaling GHS 285,250 at the Offinso District and Tarkwa High Courts and their failure to charge interest on delayed Transfer of Revenue by Zenith Bank to the tune of GHS 3,854,718.07.
When officials of MOE appeared before the PAC it was revealed that three officials at the Ministry’s Treasury including then Deputy Education Minister Elizabeth Amoah Tetteh between 2014 and 2017 failed to hand over their official vehicles when they separated from the Ministry.
In addition, the committee also found out that ten new laptops could not be accounted for at Bechem District GES office while at Adidome GES Office, two Mitsubishi Pick-Up vehicles were sold by auction for GHS 1,900 without any vital document to determine whether or not the vehicles should be sold and without inspection by the State Transport Company (STC).
Unsupported payments totaling GHS 432.800 were uncovered at 16 District offices while tenants on the premises of two institutions defaulted in their rent payment ranging between 24 and 76 months to the tune of GHS 18,030.00
The Report further noted that 43 separated staff were paid unearned salary of GHS 215,977.95 while 137 Private Schools operating within the Ga South Municipal Education Office defaulted in paying their license fees amounting to GHS 32,280.00.
In his remarks, the PAC Chairman James Klutse Avedzi said the Committee will submit its recommendations to the House and recommend sanctions for MDAs that failed to account for public funds and public officials that refuse to account for public funds at their disposal for them to be shown the way out of office.
He said one of the major responsibilities of the PAC is to hold the MDAs to account since whoever is given the responsibility and the trust of running any agency with public funds must be accountable to Parliament on behalf of the people.
The Committee, he emphasized, will insist that any public servant or civil servant that is given public funds for public good and has questions to answer and refuse to answer satisfactorily should have no business being in government.
