$4m missing from Ghana Mission over the years

The sum of $4,050,000 accruing from the special Collections Accounts of eleven of Ghana's Missions abroad to be paid into Special Investment Accounts in London since early 1990s is still 'missing' in transit, raising suspicions that the monies have been misappropriated by the missions.

As at the end of 1997 only $1,068,253.97 was transferred into the Investment Account leaving a balance of $3million unaccounted for. The Collection Accounts is a transit account, maintained by the nation's various missions from which revenues are to be transferred into the Special Investment Account. In 1992, $30,000 was transferred from the Moscow Mission to the Ghana High Commission in London upon the instructions of the Controller and Accountant-General, however there was no evidence that the said amount had been received by the latter. Again in 1994 an amount of $80,000 remitted through the Ghana Commercial Bank, London to the Moscow mission had still not been received as at the time of filing this story.

These were contained in the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee on the Auditor-General's report for the period ended December,1997 and issued a good three years out of date - May 30, 2000. The report covered Ministries, Departments and Other Agencies of the Central Government.

Among the eleven missions, London is leading the pack with an outstanding sum of $1.4m out of a total of $1,883.00 collected. Geneva mission follows with an outstanding amount of $259,257.13 out of the total $399,117.14 collected, with the Lagos Mission occupying the third position of the league of the defaulters in dollar terms but the worst in percentage terms, because not a nickle of the $261,706.73 collected by the mission was transferred as directed .

Almighty Washington and the New York follow each other in the trail with $216,424.82 out of the $4432,449.49 collected, and $209,099.00 for the big apple. Ottawa mission trails behind with $205,539.95, Bonn $107,168.00, Brussels, $93,557.29, Tripoli $69,169.00 while Cotonou and Ouagadougou took the rear position in the league with $26,740.97 and $15,764.11 in order.

The Committee expressed dismay about the situation , especially with regard to the lost remittances. "Your committee therefore wishes to recommend that the Minister of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Parliamentary select committee on Foreign Affairs should set up a committee of inquiry to probe into the matter and any official(s) found guilty made to refund the amount with interest and prosecution in addition." The committee also reminded all missions of section 148(1) of the FAR which requires that all public and trust monies collected or received by any government officer should be promptly paid into the consolidated fund. "All missions should therefore endeavour to make prompt and regular transfers into the Investment Account which forms part of the consolidated fund," the committee recommended.