Dodgy Receipts Give Away Chieftaincy Ministry

Fuel receipts, purportedly covering expenditure of some GH¢45,000, have given away the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs at the Public Accounts Committee hearing in Parliament yesterday.

The Auditor General cited the Ministry for spending GH¢45,000 on fuel without receipts covering them.

However, the Ministry is believed to have hurriedly come out with some receipts, after they were invited to appear before the Committee.

The Committee wondered how it could have recollected the times and details of the transaction that happened over a year ago for it to have hurriedly developed those receipts.

The Committee was of the view that anyone can develop fuel receipts to cover expenditures, and same could have applied in this case, especially when the Ministry was asked to appear before the Committee.

They were of the view that “the money has gone into someone's pocket.”

James Avedzi said: “I can conclude that the errands supposedly made by the Ministry's vehicles were not in the interest of the Ministry.”

He added that he can also “conclude that the monies supposedly used on fuel were pocketed.”

It was further revealed that receipts for some of the transactions were recorded, but details such as journeys made were not.

The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, to that end, slammed the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs for allegedly misappropriating GH¢45,486.65, being monies paid for fuel, and GH¢5,000 on other expenditure.

The Chairman of the Committee and Member of Parliament for Ketu North Constituency, James Klutse Avedzi, criticised the Ministry and its officers for their failure to record the amount purported to have been spent on 21 vehicles of the Ministry in the log books provided for same purpose, per Public Service Regulations.

The Chairman indicated that Regulation 605 and 1604 of the Public Service Regulations enjoins the Chief Director to ensure that all vehicles movements and expenditure are recorded in a log book.

In contrast, however, the amount is reported to have been spent on fuel for the Ministry, whilst the corresponding records were missing in the books, as identified by the Auditor General.

In response to the Committee's queries, the Acting Chief Director of the Ministry indicted that the errors were administrative, but the receipts had since been provided for some of the fuel expenditure.

The Member of Parliament for the Komenda, Edina, Eguafo Abrem (KEEA) Constituency and a Member of the Committee, said a similar issue occurred last year, for which officials of the Ministry promised would not recur.

To that end, he was of the view that there was a deliberate attempt by some officers paid by the state to unduly benefit at the detriment of the state.

The Ministry, however, indicated that a Deputy Chief Director has since been appointed after the invitation by the Committee, and they are of the view that same would not happen again.