Judges involved in illegal buying of vehicles – Auditor General report
The AUditor General’s report has revealed that some top Ghanaian judges are involved in the illegal buying of vehicles, which the A-G has now declared null and void.
According to the report between 2016 and 2021, 99 officers of the Judicial Service were offered loans to the tune of GH¢303,709.94 and since then the service could account for GH¢145,006.58 and the remaining GH¢158,703.36 as of 31 December 2021.
“We recommended that the Judicial Secretary should liaise with the Controller and Accountant General to have the loans deducted from the salaries of the staff involved. Auction of official vehicles without authority – GH¢1,023,507.00 729,” the report said.
The rules regarding Public Financial Management Regulations (158), 2019 (L.I. 2378) stipulate that the Principal Spending Officer of a covered organization is supposed to get an initial written approval of the Minister to facilitate the transfer, exchange, sale, donation, contribution-in-kind, trust and any other disposal of any vehicles of the said organization.
However, the report noted that any disposal, lending and other activity stipulated in the laid down rules and; procedures are done without the written permission of the Minister, does not hold. 730.
Also, the report unravelled a probe into the records of the Transport Unit for 2021 and showed that the service went behind the Finance Ministry to auction 19 official vehicles to the tune of GH¢1,023,507.96
The Auditor General department after unravelling the situation that since they did not follow the due process before buying the vehicles the auction should be declared null and void.
