The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, Thursday, incurred the wrath of the First Deputy Speaker, when he rejected a report on the performance audit report of the Auditor-General on the disposal of Government vehicles by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ghana Health Service.
The PAC chaired by the deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi, had recommended to the plenary to adopt its report which had soft sanctions for the two auctioneers, Alexander Adjei (Alex Mart) and Felix Aduadjoe (Shelter Mart) that were involved in nine (9) auction sales of vehicles belonging to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ghana Health Service.
For instance, the Committee recommended that considering the unprofessional conduct of Auctioneer, Alexander Adjei, in the process of the auction sale, the Ghana Auctioneers Registration Board to suspend his license and re-examine his competence at the end of the suspension term before granting him licence to operate in Ghana.
Furthermore, the Auditor-General should initiate the process to recover the underserved Commission he (Alexander Adjei) paid to himself in the process and if practicable, charge interest for the period he held the money and any other relevant money outside the stipulated time given by law.
The Auditor-General should also evaluate the transport, accommodation and other incidental costs incurred by Alexander Adjei in travelling around the country to conduct auction for the Ministry and submit same to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for payment to the auctioneer.
It further recommended to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ghana Revenue Authority to ensure that Alexander Adjei meets all his tax obligations under the transaction and file his tax returns accordingly and report to the Committee through the Auditor-General.
In the case of Felix Aduadjoe, the Committee recommended to the Ghana Health Service to take steps including legal action if necessary to retrieve the sum of GH₵44,125.00 of auction proceeds which is in his custody.
The Committee further recommended to the Auctioneers Registration Board to revoke the License of Shelter Mart and prevent him from practicing as an auctioneer in Ghana with immediate effect.
But the First Deputy Speaker who presided over the sitting was not enthused with the recommendations, preferring instead, stiffer punishment that would serve as deterrent to others.
“Hon. Members, we think that the recommendations are not harsh enough. I direct that the Committee goes back, spells out the specific public officials who have caused infraction of any law and recommend that those public officials the appropriate sanctions be applied to them in accordance with the law”, he ruled.
His ruling was provoked by the sentiments of Members who argued that the sanctions recommended in the Committee’s report were not strong enough to cause a change among the auctioneering fraternity, especially, those who flouted the Section 29 of the Auction Sales Act, 1989 (PNDCL 230), Section 29 of the Audit Service Act, the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663), and the Financial Administration Regulation, 2004 (L.I. 1802).
The MPs opined that state officials who superintended over the auction sale of the vehicles deserve stiffer punishment than what has been recommended by the PAC to deter others from such practices.
MP for Ho West, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, contributing to the discussion on the report pleaded with the House to ensure that all public officials involved in the auction sale of the vehicles should be punished.
The MP for Dome-Kwabenya and deputy Majority Leader, Sarah Adowa Safe on her part expressed the belief that the Special Prosecutor’s office will deal with such cases.
Per the findings of the Auditor-General, Alex Adjei took 7% commission paid to him by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture when he did not deserve such amount. The vehicles of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture had long been auctioned among staff of the ministry and Alexander Adjei was just used as a cover up for sale of the vehicles.
Felix Aduadjoe on the other hand, did not account for proceeds from sale of vehicles amounting to GH₵44, 125.00.
