The Sole Commissioner, Justice Yaw Apau has expressed disappointment at the lack of proper and technologically advanced way of keeping records in key state institutions.
Justice Apau’s maiden hearing over judgment debt payments practically came to a halt on Wednesday when officials of the Attorney General’s Department and the Auditor General’s Department failed to furnish him with documents he requested for.
The Sole Commissioner was mandated by President John Mahama to investigate judgment debt payments from the public kitty from the inception of the constitution till date.
The Solicitor General who was represented by a Chief State Attorney; Naana Dontoh told the Commissioner retrieving the old documents was a challenge.
She said: “You know how the Public Service their records are. We may need some time to look for all the files and unfortunately, we are not computerized. That is to say we don’t have records of computer so every document is in hard copy so we have to look for the files and compile the data that my lord requested for.”
Madam Dontoh asked for more days “to put our house in order and then come properly before you prepared.”
Meanwhile, Richard Kwartey Quartey from the Auditor General Department could only present documents on judgment debt payment from the year 2000 till date.
The Controller and Accountant General who was represented by an official; James Ntim Amponsah also blamed the lack of proper record keeping for their inability to produce all the needed documents.
“It’s going to be a bit challenging to get to way back 1992. However, we are making the efforts and we will give you update as to how we are progressing. The main challenge is that these documents although we keep them, get transferred to the national archives,” he explained.
Mr. Amponsah added saying, “the experience is that sometimes you go asking for documents that have even been transferred there and it’s difficult especially they go so far back as 1992.”
Justice Apau however expressed his disappointment at the revelations.
“It is surprising to hear that the Attorney General’s Office is yet to be computerized because the Attorney General’s Office or outfit is supposed to be the legal brain of the state and even the legal brain of the state is incapacitated to such an extent then it is quite unfortunate.”
Source: Citifmonline.com
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