Auditor-General takes steps to recover state funds
The Auditor-General has announced measures by the Audit Service to enforce the constitutional provision that mandates the department to disallow public expenditures that are contrary to the law and surcharge same against persons responsible.
Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo said at a press briefing on Wednesday that certificate of indebtedness would be issued to those who have used public money wrongly and would require them to pay back the money to the state.
He said seven certificates have been issued already while some more are to be given out later.
He urged the public to corporate with the Service because they were simply doing their work as part of their mandate to serve mother Ghana.
In June this year, the Supreme Court ordered the Auditor-General to quickly begin surcharging persons found to have misappropriated state funds.
“We are now training our staff on forensic audit so when they identify the infractions they will gather the appropriate evidence,” he said.
“I am entreated by the Audit Service Acts to issue the certificates and it provides that when we issue the certificate, there will be a prima facie evidence,” he said.
He explained that the certificate comes in the case of cash irregularities where individuals have received state funds but failed to account for it.
The Audit Service would be reviewing files from the past, Mr Domelevo told reporters, adding that the Service would be going back to open old cases to check irregularities and building on each case.
The purpose for issuing the certificate of indebtedness does not mean victimising anybody, he said, but to ensure that state monies collected by individuals and organisations were used for its intended purposes.
The only person allowed to issue the certificate for now is the Auditor General himself.
Mr Domelevo said those found culpable would refund the money with interest according to the Bank of Ghana prevailing interest rate.
“We are not only demanding for the money involved but demanding it with interest”, he said.
He dispelled public fear of political interference in the attempt to recover looted funds to the state saying, “‘we are not operating under any political influence, we are here to serve mother Ghana and no one else.”
Source: GNA