Twenty ex-DCEs to face prosecution

Twenty former District Chief Executives (DCEs) found to have been involved in various acts of malfeasance would soon be prosecuted.

This has become necessary after the auditing of the accounts of the district assemblies the administered.

Ten others, who were not implicated, would be paid their End-of-Service Benefits (ESB) immediately as the President has directed, the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Captain Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (rtd) disclosed at the Manya Krobo District Assembly on Thursday.

He said the affected former government appointees would soon be put before a Fast Track Court to answer for various acts of financial misconduct.

The 30 Ex-DCEs are the first batch of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives whose account books have been audited by the Auditor General's Department since the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government took over the administration of the country eight months ago.

The audit, Capt. Effah-Dartey said was being conducted to expose former local government employees including the DCEs, Co-ordinating Directors, Financial Officers and their subordinates, who enriched themselves at the expense of government.

The Deputy Minister said while some former DCEs were honest and as a result have "no place to stay", others amassed huge sums of money and cited a former DCE, who has put up 14 houses and bought several cars.

He, therefore, cautioned the new DCEs to refrain from financial breaches because "the NPP government will not hesitate to expose such erring appointees".

Capt. Effah-Dartey appealed to the assembly members "not to allow the DCEs to become tin gods since if they are left unchecked, they could abuse their office".