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The Manya Krobo District Finance Officer, Isaac Sintim-Aboagye, yesterday held the Commission of Inquiry probing the activities of Ghana @50 Secretariat spellbound when he made a thrilling revelation of how the district used funds for the celebration. According to him, the district used GH�75million out of the GH�100million from the Secretariat, for decoration of some major centres in the district. He mentioned Asesewa, Odumase Krobo, Akuse, Sekesua, the forefront of the Assembly hall, District Chief Executive�s residence, the anniversary parade grounds and some principal streets of the district which benefited from the �colourful decoration�. Explaining during cross-examination why the district used that colossal sum of money, the witness pointed out that the Assembly took that decision to prove to the indigenes that it was not at war with them. Besides, he said the Assembly perceived the celebration as an opportune time to reconcile the people adding, �My Lord we thought it is a period of merry making and reconciliation�. Mr. Sintim-Aboagye, who accompanied the Manya Krobo Coordinating Director, Kingsley Boahene, to testify before the Commission in respect of the district�s activities towards the celebration, said the DCE, David Sackeitey Asare, was in charge of the entire distribution of anniversary souvenirs and therefore could not provide adequate information on the quantity of items. Narrating how the DCE was keeping waybills of the items received and sold until he intended certain information to Assembly when leaving office, Mr. Sintim-Aboagye emphasised that none of the Ghana @50 document came to his attention.The Assembly, he recalled, purchased 3,500 scarf and issued it to the DCE for distribution adding that DCE also used GH�35million, proceeds from anniversary cloth, for other activities which he claimed were part of the celebration.�My Lord, the DCE brought a receipt of GH�35million which does not back what he used it for�. This answer compelled the Chairman of the Commission, Isaac Douse, to remark that producing receipts is not accountability and that every receipt must be supported with a ledger. When asked to justify whether the DCE was right in taking delivery of the items, the witness replied that it is not the responsibility of the DCE to distribute items saying, �My Lord it is a challenging situation; we are powerless�. Meanwhile, the Commission has subpoenaed the former DCE to appear before it to render an account of his stewardship. When it was his turn, the Kwahu South District Coordinating Director, Stephen Aduma Nabi, told the Commission that the District received GH�10,000 from the Secretariat through the Regional Coordinating Council for its activities along with 3,500 T-shirts, 180 baseball caps and 50 pieces of cloth. Mr. Aduma, who claimed that GH�59million was realised from the sale of souvenirs and lodged at the Commercial Bank, was however quick to note that the money was used for internally generated funds. He admitted not attempting to account for the Secretariat because according to him, �nobody has given us any directive to account for the money�. Other Coordinating Directors who appeared before the Commission were Thomas Hini of Atiwa District Assembly, John Nana Owu, Birim North and Kofi Adjei Baffour, Asuogyaman District Assembly.