Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, James Klutse Avedzie has stated that public criticisms about how some 19 vehicles were auctioned to judges in 2021 are warranted.
He lamented the manner in which the vehicles were auctioned off and stressed that laid-down procedures seem to have been breached according to the Audit Service.
His comments follow the recent Auditor-General’s report that indicated that at least 16 past and current judges of the Superior Courts were fingered for the purchase of state-owned vehicles contrary to Regulation 158 of Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378).
“You’re buying it. The Judicial Service is not buying the vehicle for them and actually to them, it is you that is being offered. So you have to ensure that the State Transport Company did an evaluation,” he said on JoyNews’ The Probe’ with Emefa Apawu.
“It is your duty to ensure that the officer who is acting on your behalf follows the procedure because it’s coming to you as personal property,” the PAC Chairman explained.
The regulation provides that the Principal Spending Officer of a covered entity shall obtain the prior written approval of the Minister for the transfer, exchange, sale, donation, contribution-in-kind, trust and any other disposal of any vehicles of the covered entity.
Regulation 158 also states that any such disposal, lease and other action referred to in Sub-regulation 1 that is made without the written approval of the Minister, is void.
However, the report revealed that some judges, including recently retired Supreme Court judges, Yaw Appau and Julius Ansah have acquired state-owned vehicles contrary to the provisions of this law.
The Auditor-General, therefore, wants the vehicles recovered.