Leave my daughter out of accusations -Ansa-Asare

...her first degree at the age of 19 and her Masters at 20.

Accra, Aug 24, GNA - Mr. Kwaku Ansa-Asare, Director of the Ghana Law School, who is currently under investigation on allegations of misconduct of office, on Wednesday pleaded that his daughter should be left out of claims being made against him.

"I cannot bear the pain of my daughter. I have had it. My daughter is only 25. Please leave her out of this."

Mr Ansa-Asare, who appeared before the five- member commission investigating allegations of abuse of office against him was reacting to claims by Mr Maxwell Opoku Agyeman, a Senior Lecturer at the Ghana Law School(GLS), that his daughter's admission into the school was against the laid down procedure.

He said contrary to what Mr Agyeman said, his daughter paid fees whilst she was at the Law School and added that it was also not true that she had never been called to any Bar.

Mr Ansa-Asare said the records were available at the GSL to disprove all that Mr Agyeman had alleged about his daughter's admission to the GSL.

He said his daughter was a qualified person who had her first degree at the age of 19 and her Masters at 20.
Mr Ansa-Asare said contrary to what was alleged by some sections of the media, he never petitioned that the Committee of Enquiry set up to look into the allegations being made against him be dissolved. "I rather sent a note to the Attorney General pointing out the illegality of this committee," he said.
Continuing with his petition, Mr Agyeman said his main concern was with the lack of transparency that characterized the manner in which decisions were taken at the GSL, especially when it came to financial transactions.
He alleged that purchases were normally done by dubious memoranda that were carried out only by Mr Ansa-Asare and his Registrar, Linda Doku as well as Esuama Odoom, an Account Officer at the Law School.
"A dubious memorandum would normally be sent by the Registrar to the Director who writes, approves and recommends. Then Linda Doku, the Director and Esuama Odoom an account Officer at the Law School would sign, indicating that the goods had been purchased, contrary to rules governing the Procurement Act."
Mr Agyeman said that on one occasion the payment for a voucher based on a memorandum written on 30th May 2005 was made on 29th April 2004 saying, "it is part of the grand style to siphon money from the GSL by one who considers the school as a gold mine."
Mr. Agyeman said the committee should investigate the fees paid by students since the 2002/2003 academic year, and how they were utilized since he was convinced that a thorough investigation into that would unveil some of the corrupt practices of Mr Ansa-Asare.
He said salaries of lecturers had also not been paid on time for the past months, citing that the salary of December 2004 was, for example paid on January 6, 2005 with the same situation recurring during the months that followed.
Mr Agyeman said this has been going on ever since, "although money used to be borrowed from the Board of Legal Education Fund to pay us when government subvention was delayed, Mr Ansa-Asare came to stop this practice."
He said, "Interestingly when it comes to authorising monies for procurements and purchases on behalf of the GSL, Mr Ansa-Asare never hesitates to give his approval."
Mr Agyeman, amongst other things, alleged that Mr Ansa-Asare managed to work things out for Mrs Linda Doku to become Registrar at the GSL in order to perpetuate his own selfish motives.
He said he believed that all the claims he had made were strong indicators of Mr Ansa-Asare's intention to make personal gainS out of the GSL.
Mr Agyeman, who is the first person to lay out his petition concerning the case said he was only interested in measures being put in place to ensure that the GSL was run according to laid down rules and procedures.
He said he was not against any individuals nor was he there for any personal gains.
"I came here because I have thought of these issues for almost a year. I am not here for any individual but for the sake of the Law School." He said if he had offended anyone in the course of rendering his petition, it certainly was not ill intended. Sitting continues on Thursday.