Public Accounts Committee causes arrest of 2 District Finance Officers

Two men - the former and current Finance Officers of the Sefwi Akontombra District Assembly are in police custody on the orders of the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Mr James Klutse Avedzi.

The two, Isaac Akowuah and James Essilfie, who appeared before the Committee at its public sitting yesterday, were accused of attempting to deceive the Committee and the Chairman ordered the police to take them away.

They are being held by the Parliament Police and they will know this morning, exactly what will happen to them after being told by the Chairman of PAC that government will take over the case.

Arrest order

The PAC met with officials from the assembly last week and raised initial questions about some payment vouchers that could not be properly accounted for, causing the commitee to haul the former District Finance Officer, Mr Akowuah, who is on transfer to another district, before the Committee to answer some questions.

Subsequently, nine out of the 62 payment vouchers were traced after checks with the auditors, following Mr Akowaah’s testimony, the committee felt that the accounts being given were not adding up.

Mr Avedzi also noted that most of the payment vouchers that were eventually submitted to the Committee did not correspond with the current receipts and had different reasons stated for spending, following a check.

This thus compelled Mr Avedzi, to order the arrests.

“You want to hold the committee to ransom. The two of you connived to try and deceive this committee. We are going to lock you up.”

“The police will take a statement from you and that statement will be used against you in the law court. We (the Public Accounts Committee) will not prosecute you. Instead, the government will take over this case,” Mr. Avedzi said during the sitting.

Although the two finance officers tried to explain the reason behind the mix up, the Chairman asked for them to be whisked away for interrogation by the police.

On that order, the two men without any chance of pleading, were handcuffed and whisked away by the officers.

Auditor General’s report

PAC on Monday January 13, began working on the Auditor-General’s 2016 report with some representatives from Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Greater Accra, Western and Volta Regions already appearing to defend their spending.

While eight assemblies were ordered to appear before the committee or face possible sanctions, officials from the Weija-Gbawe Municipal Assembly were sacked because they failed to appear with their Municipal Chief Executive.

All the assemblies, cited in the Auditor General’s Report on ‘Utilisation and Management of the District Assemblies Common Fund’ on MMDAs for 2015 and 2016 financial years for financial impropriety have been invited to appear before the committee.

The invitation to the assemblies is in line with Article 103(3) of the 1992 Constitution which empowers the committee with functions including “Investigation and inquiry into the activities and administration of ministries and departments as parliament may determine.”

Background

On the second sitting of the committee on January 14, the Chairman of the PAC warned that officials of MMDAs who failed to appear before the committee to account for their expenditure will be subpoenaed.

He also cautioned that the committee had the power under Article 103 (3) of the 1992 Constitution to subpoena or cause the arrest and detention of any public or civil servant who appeared before the committee to peddle untruths.