The Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) has said it will petition President Nana Akufo-Addo to remove the Auditor-General over what it calls procurement breaches at the Attorney General’s Department.
The pressure group had early on indicated that the Auditor General allegedly violated procurement rules in the purchase of some goods for the office.
It therefore asked the Attorney General to within one week commence criminal investigations into the procurement breaches of the Auditor-General and take the necessary actions against the Auditor General.
AFAG, in its latest statement however said management of the PPA seems to be shielding the Auditor General given that he had not yet been sanctioned for allegations levelled against him.
“Management of the PPA has since the delivery of the said letter, failed and or refused to respond to our simple query. This confirms vital information available to AFAG that, certain interests at the PPA seek to shield the Auditor General from legal scrutiny and accountability for his actions.”
“For committing serious breaches of the Public Procurement Act, AFAG will petition the President for the removal of the Auditor General from public office for the offences captured in the PPA report covering the Audit Service from January 2018 to August 2018.AFAG would lodge a complaint with the supervising Minister of the PPA, the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning and the Public Services Commission for appropriate action to be taken against the Management of the Public Procurement Authority for refusing to respond to our lawful demand.”
Below is the full statement from AFAG:
Is PPA MANAGEMENT AIDING AND ABETTING CORRUPTION?
It has come to the attention of AFAG that the management of the PPA may be shielding the Auditor General from proper scrutiny in accordance with the law. At the 8thBoard Meeting of the Board of Directors of the PPA, held on the 20th of December 2018, the Board resolved and directed the Management of PPA to forward its findings to the Attorney Generals’ office for appropriate action to be taken against the Auditor General.
This directive from the Board was pursuant to findings established by the PPA from January 2018 to August 2018. The PPA’s report concluded that the Auditor General has violated many provisions of the Public Procurement Act.
In pursuit of justice and accountability, AFAG wrote a letter dated 16th August 2019 asking for update on the PPA Board’s recommendation for a referral to the Attorney General for the necessary action to be initiated against the Auditor General.
Management of the PPA has since the delivery of the said letter, failed and or refused to respond to our simply query. This confirms vital information available to AFAG that, certain interests at the PPA seek to shield the Auditor General from legal scrutiny and accountability for his actions.
AFAG deplores the negative conduct of the Management of PPA. We are giving the management of PPA another opportunity to redeem its image and respond to our lawful demand. In the event of failure, we would recourse to the full force of the law against the management.
AFAG hereby serves notice that;
- For committing serious breaches of the Public Procurement Act AFAG will petition the President for the removal of the Auditor General from public office for the offences captured in the PPA report covering the Audit Service from January 2018 to August 2018.
- AFAG would lodge a complaint with the supervising Minister of the PPA, the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning and the Public Services Commission for appropriate action to be taken against the Management of the Public Procurement Authority for refusing to respond to our lawful demand.
Signed
AFAG LEADERSHIP
