body-container-line-1
06.09.2005 General News

Law School C'ttee Stunned

06.09.2005 LISTEN
By Chronicle

The Committee, probing the Law School Boss, Mr. Kwaku Ansa-Asare, yesterday expressed amazement when a witness disclosed that the School did not have an internal auditor.

A member of the Committee, Mr. Tetteh-Mensah, stated that he was amazed that the Law School, a place where law was taught, could not set examples for other institutions to follow.

"An institution where billions of cedis are removed from their accounts does not even have an internal auditor, you see the problem," he intimated.

This was after the Senior Accountant of the School, Mr. John Kpatsa told the committee that the Law school currently does not have an internal auditor, adding that the Registrar of the School, Mrs. Linda Doku, approved vouchers, cheques and all payments, and therefore technically, was the internal auditor.

Mr. Tetteh-Mensah further indicated that, that was the reason why the General Legal Council (GLC) set up the committee, to investigate the school, find out all the abnormalities in the school and make recommendations to the GLC for onward implementation.

He said under the law, all institutions should have an internal auditing office, to check financial transactions.

Another member of the Committee, Mr. Eddie Boafo continued that even general auditing should be part of the work of the Internal Auditor.

Mr. Kpatsa explained that formerly, the Principal Director, Mr. Isaac Anim, was given that duty, but before he was asked to proceed on a year's leave, there was a reshuffle so the internal auditing was assigned to him. However, he said because of his workload, he had not been able to conduct internal auditing.

Witness continued that on paper, he was the Internal Auditor but practically the school does not have one.

He stressed that before Mr. Anim relinquished his assignment to him, he (Mr. Anim) went to complain about that abnormality, but before he realized, payments had been approved without his knowledge.

He disclosed that his work at GSL included preparing salaries, subventions and cashbooks for GLC.

Mr. Kpatsa further told the committee that no one could audit the Director because when he issued a cheque and one refused to approve it, his work would be at stake.

On his part, Mr. David Mawunya Djentuh, who, until September 2004, was the Librarian of the School but now the Administrative Secretary of the GLC, testified that he had become a victim of circumstances from Mr. Ansa-Asare.

He said Mr. Ansa-Asare had repeatedly flouted the fundamental principle governing the stocking of a library, besides, books were procured without consulting him, leading to the running of the library in an unprofessional manner.

"My Lord, the Director has continually frustrated my efforts to run the library according to these basic principles. Copies of single titles are over and above the 10 copies' maximum rule and the 38-seating capacity of the library." Mr. Djentuh said.

He said some of the books supplied in that manner included: A. P. K. Kludze: Ghana Law of Land and Tenant, 156 copies; Bowman and Kuenyehia: Women and Law in Sub-Saharan Africa, 100 copies; Longman's Dictionary of Contemporary English, 50 copies and Gower's principles of modern company law.

He said he was sidelined, while his messenger was practically turned the Librarian, receiving direct orders from the Director.

Mr. Djentuh stated that when he drew the Director's attention to the anomalies in the manner of acquisition of books, he subjected him to threats and harassment.

The witness continued that he once discovered during his usual checks on the stock of the Library that even though the Requisition booklet indicated that 100 copies of the Longman's English Dictionary were supplied, only 50 copies were in stock.

Witness said it got to a stage where it appeared the Director was monitoring his movements and he was issued with queries about his absence from the office, after he had attended to nature's call.

Alfred Agbozo, a former secretary to the Director, told the committee that Mr. Ansa-Asare dismissed him, though he was employed by GLC.

He said he was not given one-month prior notice but was given only one-month salary as compensation.

He told the committee that the Law School had not been able to obtain their own conditions of service and that made it impossible for workers to identify their rights.

Mrs. Evelyn Allotey, a former recorder of the GLC told the committee that Mr. Ansa-Asare dismissed her, when she went home for her maternity leave.

According to her, she started her maternity leave on October 27, 2002, and while she was in the house, she received a letter from Mr. Ansa-Asare that she had been relieved of her post, without any reason assigned.

She indicated that she made a complaint to the Commissioner For Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), but Mr. Ansa-Asare had refused to honour the numerous invitations by CHRAJ.

The committee resumes its sittings on today, September 6, when 3 Sigma Incorporated, a Senior Lecturer at the Law School, Mr. Albert Adaare, the Registrar of the Law School, Mrs. Linda Doku and the Chief Accountant of the School, Mr. Asuamah Odoom are expected to appear.

body-container-line