PAC Issues Warning To Witnesses

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament Thursday issued a strong warning to witnesses who take the work of the committee for granted by adopting a feet-dragging attitude to invitations to assist it in its public hearings.

The warning followed the failure of all the nine individuals and institutions which were scheduled to appear before the committee to do so.

They are Mr Edmund Dankwa, Mr Joseph T. Tette-Apian, Mr Thomas Ohene Kodjo, Nana Owusu Akyiaw Prempeh II, Angeline K Alagbo, representatives of the Obadji Family of Somanya, ex SCC workers, AVNASH Limited and New World Renaissance.

The committee had to adjourn its sitting without doing anything as a result of the failure of any of the witnesses to honour the invitation.

The Chairman of the PAC, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, who was furious at the failure of the individuals and institutions to appear before the committee, said the committee “will invoke every power at its disposal to compel such individuals and institutions to appear before it”.

Committees of Parliament have the powers of a High Court and can invoke those powers if their orders are disobeyed by individuals and institutions.

Mr Kan-Dapaah, therefore, advised the concerned institutions and individuals to take note of the admonition and appear before the PAC either on Thursday or Friday.

He said it would be in their own interest to make contact with the committee to appear before it.

The Ranking Member of the committee, Alhaji Amadu Seidu, expressed the hope that the institutions and individuals would co-operate with the PAC to help speed up its work.