Acting Chief Director of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has appealed to Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee to help the Ministry get in touch with former Ghana Ambassador to India, H.E. Samuel P. Yalley, to help retire an imprest of US$3,906 (GH¢19,100).
According to the report of the audited accounts of the Ministry, Ambassador Sam P. Yalley, then Ambassador to India under the erstwhile NDC administration, was granted an accountable imprest of 250,000 Indian Rupees to attend an official programme.
The programme did not, however, take place and yet the imprest was not retired.
Ambassador Ramses Joseph Cleland, the Acting Chief Director, made the request when the Foreign Ministry took its turn at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday 9th February 2022.
The Committee was considering the Auditor-Generals’ Report for Public Accounts of Ministries, Departments and Other Agencies (MDAs) for 2018.
According to the report, Section 79 of the Foreign Service Accounting Instructions require an imprest holder to fully retire same immediately upon completion of an assignment for which the imprest was granted.
The Report indicated in the case of the Mission in New Delhi, the amount US$3,906.25 was not accounted for even though the programme for which it was budgeted did not even take place.
It urged management to therefore retrieve the amount from H. E. Samuel P. Yalleh without further delay.
Chairman of the Committee, James Klutse Avedzi directed the Ministry to contact the Former Ambassador about the unretired imprest and if he had used it he must refund it.
However, following information that the former Ambassador has been hospitalized in Cape Coast, the Chairman gave the Ministry a month to conclude the matter and inform the auditors in order to serve as retirement of the imprest.
Source: Mypublisher24.com
