National Security Council cannot audit DWM account - MP

The institution of actions by the National Security Advisor to audit the accounts of the 31st December Women's Movement is illegal and unconstitutional, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Women's Parliamentary Caucus said in Accra.

A statement signed by Mrs. Ama Benyiwa-Doe, Member of Parliament (MP) for Gomoa West, said the action contravenes Article 187 of the Constitution, which vested in the Auditor-General powers of auditing public offices and not the office of the National Security Advisor and the National Security Council.

It said President Agyekum Kufuor incidentally chairs the National Security Council. It said: "the office has absolutely nothing to do with the auditing of the accounts by the 31st December Women's Movement or for that matter any other NGO".

The action also shows "how hard this government is trying to criminalize persons and organisations perceived to be associated with the former government and the persecution of their political opponents."

The statement said the office of the National Security Advisor had sent wireless messages to the various Regional Co-ordinating Councils to furnish the secretariat of the National Security Co-ordinator with assets of the Movement.

"It is difficult to imagine how the operations of the movement would involve national security." The statement explained that the movement was a company, limited by a guarantee and was registered with the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and it was not subject to audit by any government agency and especially not the office of the National Security Advisor.

"We are of the opinion that if any doubts or questions arise concerning the accounts of a company limited by a guarantee, this is strictly speaking an issue for the members of the company."

The statement said if it was alleged that the movement benefited from loans that were guaranteed by the Government of Ghana and that the movement was unable to repay the loans regularly and the remedy should have been civil proceedings to recover any indebtedness.

"In any lending agreement, events that constitute acts of default are clearly spelt out. Furthermore, the actions that are to be taken in the event of any act of default are also clearly spelt out."

It said the government's action showed no respect for the rule of law and ignored the tenets of democracy that was loudly postulated when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was in the opposition and which, it has abandoned, now that they were in power.

The statement called on the government to stop discrediting the Movement and desists from calculated actions to brand NDC members as criminals.