PAC issues ultimatum to EC over 'unaccounted' ?1.6m

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has issued a two-week ultimatum to the Electoral Commission (EC) over ₵1.6 million it spent in 2012 without proper documentation.

According to the Committee, the money which was allocated to the EC for developmental projects in the Western Region, has since not been accounted for.

The Auditor General’s report for 2014 raised a red flag concerning the expenditure provided by the Commission for the ₵1.6 million. The Audit report disclosed the money was not spent on the projects for which it was allocated.

Appearing before the Committee to answer questions regarding the use of the money, Head of Accounts at the EC, Kwaku Agyei Larbi could not offer any explanation on the matter.

He told the Committee the Commission was not prepared to answer the questions concernign the money, hence pleaded the Commission be given some time to organise itself.

Speaking to Joynews at the end of the Committee sitting with EC officials, a member of PAC, Ibrahim Dey said he was unimpressed with the responses given by the Commission.

According to him, “The problem was that they didn’t even seem to be aware that that 1.6 million Ghana cedis transaction was not accounted for in the books.”

He further said the EC representatives were not even aware of the questions the Auditor General had raised in the 2014 Audit report.

This, he said surprised the Committee members who suggested the Commission representatives be sent back to prepare for a later sitting.

“The director of finance and most of the directors were not aware of the money and they could not produce any document to support it,” he expressed surprise.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brako-Powers | Email: [email protected]