Accra: Urban Roads Accountant Osman Amin fraudulently withdraws GHS1.5 million from department’s account

The Greater Accra Regional Accountant of the Department of Urban Roads, Mr. Mohammed Osman Amin has been cited for embezzling over GHS1.5 million by the Auditor-General.

This is contained in the report of the Auditor-General of an audit conducted on public accounts of Ghana Ministries, Departments, and other agencies for the year ending December 31, 2022.

The report notes that Mr. Mohammed Osman Amin altered the figures on approved cheques totaling GHS214,730 to fraudulently withdrawal of GHS1,799,509.38.

“Our review showed that between January 2020 and March 2022, the Ag. Regional Director approved a total amount of GH¢214,730.00 to be withdrawn for various activities.

“We, however, noted that the Regional Accountant, Mr. Mohammed Osman Amin altered the amounts in figures and words on the various cheques after approval by the Ag. Regional Director and withdrew a total amount of GH¢1,799,509.38 from their bank account numbers 1018631538614 and 1018631538557 resulting in a fraudulent withdrawal of GH¢1,584,779.38,” parts of the Auditor-General’s report said.

This goes against Section 7 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) which provides that a Principal Spending Officer of a covered entity shall ensure the regularity and proper use of money appropriated in that covered entity and in the exercise of duties establish an effective system of risk management, internal control, and internal audit in respect of the resources and transactions of a covered entity.

While confirming that Mr. Mohammed Osman Amin has so far refunded GH¢50,000.00 out of the fraudulently withdrawn money, the Auditor-General has directed that the Chief Director of the Department of Urban Roads should ensure that the remaining GH¢1,534,779.38 is recovered.

“We recommended that the Chief Director should ensure that the Ag. Regional Director recovers the amount of GH¢1,534,779.38 with interest at the prevailing Bank of Ghana rate from Mr. Mohammed Osman Amin and pay same into the Auditor General’s Recoveries Account at the Bank of Ghana, failing which the amount should be recovered from the Ag. Regional Director,” the Auditor-General said in his report.

The Auditor-General also recommended that disciplinary action should be taken against Mr. Mohammed Osman Amin.