The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has come under scrutiny at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament for various financial infractions, including alleged unearned salaries and imprests.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr James Gyekye Quayson, led the ministry’s defence before the committee on Tuesday in Parliament House, Accra.
According to the Auditor-General’s report, three Foreign Service Officers at the Abuja mission received unearned salaries, while 19 personnel at the Ankara mission, including the former head of mission, received unearned imprests, totalling €16,226, which has since been repaid.
This was revealed during the public hearing.
Further, per the report, “The sum of $5,800 used to purchase a MacBook Air laptop and three Samsung S10 phones by the former Head of Mission for Malabo, Mrs Esther Dzifa-Ofori, remains unaccounted for.”
Appearing before PAC, Ambassador Ramses J. Cleland, the Chief Director of the Ministry, told the Committee he had reached out to Mrs Dzifa-Ofori, who is currently out of Ghana.
The Auditor-General’s report also revealed embezzlement in the Prague Mission, where a former accountant deducted monies from home-based officers into a euro account.
The PAC has raised concerns over the ministry’s failure to account for the funds used to purchase electronic devices and the lack of transparency in its financial dealings.
Mr Samuel Atta Mills, the Ranking Member of PAC, emphasized the need for the ministry to take immediate action to address these issues and prevent similar infractions in the future.
The PAC of Parliament, chaired by Madam Abena Osei Asare, the New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament (MP) for Atiwa East, is holding a public hearing from Tuesday, August 19, to Tuesday, August 26, to consider the Auditor-General’s report on Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) for the year ended December 31, 2024.
The Monday hearing featured appearances from the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and the Office of the Head of Civil Service.
Before proceeding with the hearing, the committee held a moment of silence to pay tribute to the late Environment Minister, Alhaji Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, who perished in a helicopter crash two weeks ago along with seven others.
He was a member of PAC in the Eighth Parliament.
The six-day public hearing will examine the Auditor-General’s report, which highlighted significant issues, including Ghana’s public debt and weaknesses in financial reporting and asset management.
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Source: myjoyonline.com
