A report dated December 31, 2022, from the Auditor General’s (AG) Office has exposed irregularities involving a contracting firm, Gumah & Sons, which received a payment exceeding GHS2.8 million, despite initially being awarded a GHS2.1 million contract by the Fisheries Commission.
The unexplained over-payment, totaling almost GHS700,000, has raised concerns regarding financial oversight and accountability.
“Contrary to Regulation 78 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378), our review of procurement documents disclosed that, the Fisheries Commission awarded a contract in the sum of GH¢2,133,995.48 to Gumah and Sons Limited for the supply of eight Pick-up vehicles. However, we noted during examination of payment vouchers that the Head of Finance paid the supplier a total amount of GH¢2,829,436.00 on 26 November 2021 and 26 April 2022 resulting in overpayment of GH¢695,440.52,” parts of the report read.
During the examination, the AG noted that 111 payment vouchers, amounting to GH¢3,087,943.39 and disbursed between April 2021 and December 2022, were not presented for audit review.
Consequently, the AG recommended that the Chief Director ensures the Executive Directorinitiates the recovery of the GH¢3,087,943.39 from the Head of Accounts.
“We noted during our review that 111 payment vouchers used in disbursing GH¢3,087,943.39 between April 2021 and December 2022 were not presented for audit review.
It added that due to the absence of these payment vouchers, the Chief Director to ensure that the Executive Director initiates the recovery of the GH¢3,087,943.39 from the Head of Accounts.
It instructed that the amount should be promptly deposited into the AG’s Recoveries Account at the Bank of Ghana.
Failure to comply with the directive, it stated, may result in the direct recovery of the amountfrom the Executive Director.
“In the absence of the payment vouchers we recommended that the Chief Director should ensure that the Executive Director recovers the amount of GH¢3,087,943.39 from the Head of Accounts and pay same into the Auditor General’s Recoveries Account at Bank of Ghana, failing which the amount should be recovered from the Executive Director”, it added.
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