Citi News sources say the letter, which was copied to the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO), maintains that Mr. Kwaku-Asamoah is currently not under investigation, and must not be restrained from performing his duties.

[contextly_sidebar id=”NpsHkQQqP7HA199MDZ5IfOLoVsWXf1ee”]About seven months ago, the Finance Director, together with the Commission’s two deputy chairpersons, were directed to proceed on leave for investigations into the missing GHc 480, 000 from the EC’s Staff Endowment Fund.

But Citi News sources say his lawyers in the letter argue that, it is unjust for him to be locked out of his office when the alleged malfeasance did not happen under him.

Meanwhile, Citi News has also sighted an advise from the Attorney General’s Office asking EOCO to conduct a comprehensive independent forensic audit of the EC’s Staff Endowment Fund to deepen the investigation.

In the Attorney General’s opinion, EOCO’s investigations failed to prove whether any money was indeed misappropriated, and how much was involved.

Amankwah’s woes

In a related development, EOCO, on Monday rejected media reports suggesting that it has cleared the Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission in charge of Corporate Services, Georgina Opoku Amankwah of any wrongdoing following a probe into the  GHc480,000 believed to have gone missing from the EC’s Senior Staff Endowment Fund.

“We wish to emphatically and categorically state that no such clearance has been issued to any of the Officers of the Electoral Commission who are on leave,” EOCO said in a brief statement issued on Tuesday.

Madam Amankwah together with Dr.  Asamoah and another director of the EC were directed to proceed on leave in July 2017, to enable EOCO investigate the matter.

Although she forcibly resumed duty last week, Madam Amankwah and her lawyer after meeting with EOCO officials, agreed on a 14-day ultimatum  by which time she wants the EOCO report on her to be ready. She has vowed to return to work if she does not receive any response from EOCO.

This ultimatum was  agreed upon after officials of the investigative body stormed her office to prevent her from occupying it.

But even before the 14-day period elapses, the Daily Guide newspaper in its January 23, 2018 edition, reported that some documents available to it from the Attorney General’s Department suggest that the affected officers including Opoku Amankwa have been cleared of any malfeasance.

According to the newspaper, “The report, dated January 10, 2018, indicates that the focus of the EOCO investigation was on Samuel Yorke Aidoo, the then Director of Finance, as well as Ishmael Pensah, a former Chief Accountant, who no longer works with the EC.”

Daily Guide further suggested that Georgina Opoku-Amankwaah and the other directors being investigated were allegedly being hounded by EOCO on the instruction of the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei.

But EOCO in its statement said the claims by the Paper are untrue.

“…the attribution that ‘EC Chairperson is said to be manipulating EOCO’ is blatant falsehood and needs to be condemned. The general public is invited to disregard the said publication,” the statement added.

The statement however fell short of addressing the newspaper’s claim of a report from the Attorney General’s Department.

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By: Sixtus Dong Ullo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Reinstate me now, else… – EC Finance director fumes appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), has been grilling Dr Asamoah, a Deputy EC Chair and another official over their alleged involvement in the loss of the cash. Charlotte Osei recently directed the three to step aside for investigations to continue.

In a response to Chairperson Charlotte Osei’s directive to proceed on leave, Dr. Asamoah wrote that he was neither at post as Director of Finance, nor was he in any position to influence management’s decision regarding financial administration of the Endowment Fund during the period of the alleged loss.

[contextly_sidebar id=”NJeTavAcSF9j2YWljmqDgLVJCKN1dTqb”]Documents cited by Citi News show that Dr. Joseph Kweku Asamoah assumed office as Director of Finance in October 2014, following the retirement of the then Director, Samuel Yorke-Aidoo.

Prior to coming to office, he was the Electoral Commission’s internal auditor.

He became a signatory to all the Commission’s financial accounts on 21^st November, 2014 after the commission wrote to its bankers to inform them.

The documents further reveal that the EC Boss, Charlotte Osei, on 5^th February last year, wrote to the Former Director of Finance, Samuel Yorke-Aidoo, requesting an official response to what she termed the misapplication of proceeds from the staff endowment fund. Specific portions of the letter read;

“Following a review of the Staff Endowment Fund, it has come to our notice that about Five Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (Ghc500,000) was not transferred into the Endowment Fund. Available records at the Commission do not indicate the use of the funds and the reasons why the said amount were not credited to the endowment fund. There have also been recent agitations by the staff Union on the alleged misapplication of the funds. Consequently, at a meeting between the Commission and the Staff Unions on 3^rd February, 2016, it was decided that we request a written response from you on this matter as these events occurred during your tenure as Director of Finance. We further note that your handing over notes on retirement did not address this issue.”

In an 18^th February 2016, response, Mr. Yorke-Aidoo disclosed that;

“The whole matter relating to the inability to transfer funds into the endowment funds, from my own perspective has to do with the financial crisis the Commission suffered during the period 2012 to 2014”.

He added: “I am amazed and appalled that this history or story could neither be narrated by any of the officials concerned who are all in the Commission currently nor could be ascertained from documents of financial transactions all available in the Commission but should require a report from me as former director of Finance to reinforce an existing perception and an unfortunate impression that I spearheaded the misapplication of funds in the Commission”.

Following this response, the Commission’s Deputy Chairperson in charge of Finance and Administration, Georgina Opoku Amankwa, herself caught up in the EOCO investigations, charged the now Finance Director, Dr. Asamoah to cause an investigation into the expenditure. This was contained in a 14^th March 2016 Memo, portions of which read;

“Please cause an investigation into this to ascertain what specific budget lines the monies were used for and how such approvals were given.”

Subsequently, Dr. Kweku Asamoah recommended that Madam Charlotte Osei direct an internal audit into the alleged loss.

Our Sources at the EOCO say that Dr. Joseph Kweku Asamoah, met with the  EOCO investigative team about two weeks ago.

Citi News understands the investigative team wondered why and how he is implicated in the alleged loss of the nearly five hundred thousand Cedis.

The embittered Finance Director has however proceeded on leave even though there were reports last week that he said would not leave.

By: Sixtus Dong Ullo/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @sixtus_gh

The post EC GHc480,000 scandal: Documents reveal Finance Director wasn’t at post appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Following the loss of some GHc480, 000 from the EC’s Endowment Fund, some top officials, including the Commission’s Deputy Chairperson in-charge of Finance and Administration, Georgina Opoku Amankwah and Dr. Asamoah have been asked to proceed on leave but the latter has refused to obey the directive.

[contextly_sidebar id=”DXjsmLGGj7Gn6HnGSUy1OFsCZBm91MLz”]Dr. Asamoah argues that he was neither the Director of Finance nor holding any position to influence management’s decision regarding financial administration of the Endowment Fund, when the scandal occurred.

“I wish to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 5 July directing me to proceed on leave pending the EOCO investigation into an alleged loss of about GHc480,000 from the staff Endowment Fund.As you are aware, I wish to state on record again that I was neither at post as Director of Finance nor was I in any position to influence management’s decision regarding financial administration of the Endowment Fund during the period of the alleged loss. I am, therefore, in no position to influence the integrity of the investigation as stated in your letter while at post since I have no involvement in the alleged loss,” Dr Asamoah said in a response to a letter asking him to proceed on leave.

“Madam, assuming without admitting that officers who inherit problems they have no knowledge of from their predecessor are made to proceed on leave, then on the principle of fairness, all management staff in the same position must equally proceed on leave. I wish to courteously submit that subsequent to my assumption of duty as Director of Finance, there has not been any incident of the same or similar nature,” he added.

Top EC officials on leave to protect integrity of investigation – Dzakpasu

Meanwhile the Head of Communications at the Electoral Commission (EC), Eric Kofi Dzakpasu has explained that the top officials of the commission have proceeded on leave to protect the integrity of investigations by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO).

Mr. Dzakpasu said the order does not mean that they have been found culpable.

“The Chairperson [of EC] has written to the three top officials to proceed on leave not because they have been found culpable or because they have been accused of wrongdoing but per the positions they occupy in the scheme of things and the need to ensure integrity of the investigation processes, they have been requested by the Chairpersons to proceed on leave while investigations go on.

“What I know is that EOCO is investigating matters related to staff endowment fund where we have some gap in the deposits which must be paid to the staff from the deductions of the staff. As a result of which EOCO has started investigations and all persons who are related to the issue have been called for questioning… The commission is fully cooperating with EOCO as far as this investigation is concerned,” he explained.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

The post I won’t proceed on leave – EC Finance Director appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.