He, however, insisted that it was too early to conclude that the officials are innocent, given the mandate and access they had to the funds during the period.

[contextly_sidebar id=”4Ag0qJ36ZtH3RvCgQpbuz3Xy7UhIWbnu”]EOCO commenced investigations into the activities of three officials of the EC; Georgina Opoku Amankwah, Chief Accountant, Kwaku Owusu Agyei-Larbi and  Finance Officer, Joseph Kwaku Asamoah, after over 480,000 cedis went missing, resulting in the officials being asked to proceed on leave.

Speaking to Accra-based Peace FM, the Executive Director of EOCO, K. K. Amoah, stated that, investigations were far advanced into the matter, and that they would submit their findings to the Attorney General very soon.

“We are still on the case. I met with my colleagues and we noticed that, the money did not end up in the accounts of the officials, so right now it is missing,” he said.

“It is too early to conclude anyone is innocent because [Georgina Opoku Amankwah] was in charge of the Endowment Fund and [Asamoah] was the auditor at the time. In a few days, we’ll make our determinations.”

According to him, there have been claims that the money from the Endowment Fund was used for some projects for the EC, but he said no documents have been provided to prove this claim.

“It’s been suggested that the money was used for some work for the EC. If that’s the case, they should bring receipts and documents to prove it. We haven’t got any such documents from them. Without those documents, we’ll continue to pursue them. With time, we will pass the information on to the Attorney General to pursue the matter in court.”

K. K. Amoah also clarified that the officials under investigation were still on leave and had not been interdicted.

‘Officials assisting investigations’

The Head of Communications at the EC, Eric Kofi Dzakpasu, stated in July that the three officials proceeded on leave in order to protect the integrity of investigations by EOCO

“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 said

A letter, written to the Chair of the EC, Charlotte Osei, dated July 4th, 2017 from EOCO, said “the suspects are assisting in investigations.”

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Endowment Fund cash not in EC officials’ accounts – EOCO 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.