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General News of Friday, 22 April 2016

Source: tv3network.com

PAC shuts door to journalists over Audit Report

Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, Chairman of PAC Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, Chairman of PAC

The Public Accounts Committee [PAC] on Thursday prevented journalists from covering its proceedings relating to Judicial Services which was summoned to answer queries raised against it by the Auditor General.

The PAC is reviewing the 2011, 2012 and 2013 editions of the Auditor General’s report on the Judicial Service, which raises issues of misappropriation of funds among other infractions.

Although the proceedings of the Committee have been opened to the public, journalists were however denied entry to the auditorium to cover the proceedings.

“This is quite unusual because in the past few days, the same journalists were allowed to cover the proceedings on other departments and agencies mentioned in the report but on this occasion, they have been prevented from covering that of the judicial service” said Yesmeen Abubakar Tetteh of Accra-based Top Fm.

She claimed Police personnel who were stationed at the venue of the Committee sitting manhandled some journalists who attempted to enter the auditorium to cover the proceedings.

“Member of the PAC revealed to me that the journalists were prevented because the report on the judicial service is stinking, therefore, media publications on it will further diminish the public trust and confidence in the judiciary”.

But the Chairman of the Public Account Committee who is the MP for Dormaa Central constituency, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu explained to journalists after the sitting that, the decision to hold proceedings in-camera was due to the sensitive nature of the issues regarding the Judicial Service as raised in the report.

"There are some sensitive issues involve that we don’t think should be put into the public domain, judicial service is a sensitive are,” he stated.

Meanwhile Vice Secretary of the Parliamentary Press Corp, Jeorge Wilson Kingson told the host of Onua FM's Ghana Dwadwen, Bright Kwesi Asempa that the claims by Yesmeen Abubakar Tetteh was factually inaccurate and must be disregarded.

He explained that there was a prior notice to the Press Corp regarding a change of venue and why there was the need to hold the proceedings in-camera.