Cars grabbing at the Judiciary, 17 judges indicted despite ban – Auditor General report
The 2021 Auditor General’s report has revealed that some 17 retired and serving judges of the superior courts breached the law to grab 19 ‘auction cars’.
The practice in the past used to be that public officials who were qualified to retire from active service could buy state vehicles that were over two years old and more when leaving office. This policy became a tool for corruption politically as the exiting government officials are often accused of selling state vehicles cheaply to themselves by the incoming administration.
In April 2017, President Nana Akufo-Addo banned the practice when he assumed office citing it as a problem that needed an end. In an interaction with journalists at the Peduase Lodge in the Eastern Region after a ministers’ retreat, he declared an end to the policy.
“These are difficult times for the Ghanaian people. The policy that has worked so far which is running into a lot of problems because of the way it has been abused, which is that officials can buy official cars. That policy will no longer work. No official is going to have the opportunity to buy his official car. So, we put an end to it,” the president said.
However, the 2021 A-G report indicates that 17 judges of the lower courts, judicial service staff, and three retired Supreme Court judges are caught purchasing 19 vehicles.
The Auditor-General says the act is unlawful and against the Public Management Regulations 2019 which states that any auction by a public entity must have the approval of the Minister of Finance.
“Regulation 158 of Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378) states that the Principal Spending Officer of a covered entity shall obtain the prior written approval of the Minister for the transfer, exchange, sale, donation, contribution-in-kind, trust, and any other disposal of any vehicles of the covered entity,” the report said.
“In the absence of approval from the Minister for Finance, we recommended that the auction should be nullified, and the vehicles recovered,” the report directed.
By: Agaatorne Douglas Asaah | myactiveonline.com
