President John Dramani Mahama has tasked the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to set up a committee to start prosecuting people cited in the Public Accounts Committee Report of misappropriating state funds.
He said the government would not allow any official found to have used public funds to go scot free, and indicated that the committee would ensure that the money was retrieved to the state.
President Mahama announced the directive at the senior citizens luncheon for the 53rd Republic Day anniversary at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Accra.
The announcement followed a request by a representative of the senior citizens, Nana Oye Mansa Yeboaa I, the Dompiahene of Akwapem, that the government should take steps to retrieve the money from the people cited for misappropriating public funds in the Public Accounts Committee Report.
The citizens dressed in their beautiful cloths and suits were treated to a variety of meals and drinks. Live music of old was also provided to soothe the hearts of the senior citizens.
Ghana joined the global community of nations 53 years ago on July 1, 1960 when it achieved republican status.
The Public Accounts Committee consists of not more than 25 members of parliament and is chaired by a Member who does not belong to the party which controls the Executive branch of Government.
The duty of the Committee is to examine the audited accounts showing the appropriation of the sums granted by Parliament to meet the public expenditure of the government as presented to the House by the Auditor-General.
Some officials in the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies MDAs have been cited in the latest Public Accounts Committee Report for misappropriating money or failing to account for some money.
President Mahama noted that the power to retrieve the misappropriated money as captured in the Public Accounts Committee Report was in the domain of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice.
Therefore, he said, the setting up of the committee was to begin the prosecution "so that people will not take up money and use it."
The President urged Ghanaians to rekindle hope in the country since the country has the prospects of attaining full middle-income status. Read full story in the Daily Graphic on Tuesday.
Source: Musah Yahaya Jafaru, D-Graphic
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