GNA Boss In Trouble

The Auditor- General (A-G) department, has bared its teeth at two ex-general managers and the current general manager of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) over a wide range of suspected financial and administrative malpractices.

Such malpractices occurred between January 1999 and December 2001.

The high-ranking officers are, Sam. B. Quaicoo, who was general manager from January 1, 1999 to February 10, 2000; Sam Clegg- acting general manager, February 10, 2000 to September 15, 2000 and R. Kafui Johnson, the current general manager.

"I should be grateful if you would respond to observations pertaining to your period," stated a covering letter on a "January 1999-December 2001 management report on payroll audit of GNA," dated February 20, this year and signed by the A-G, which demanded that the aforementioned persons responded by February 25.

This letter was meant for Sam B. Quaicoo and Sam Clegg because the Chronicle leant that R. Kafui Johnson had already been communicated to on the same issue ealier.

The A-G, not knowing that three persons held the position of general manager during the period in question, initially wrote to the current general manager in August, last year, and he had since responded to it.

"We are waiting for the responses of the rest of the two to enable us conclude," said Dua Agyeman. As at last Friday March 7, the two had yet to respond to the best of Mr. Dua's knowledge.

The observations, five in all, were that "there had been incorrect payments of arrears of salaries, underpayments of salaries totaling ?92,709,736.02 to 192 officers while 120 were overpaid by ?12,262,343.18."

The rest were that while the underpayment and overpayment went on, some officers were being paid wrong basic salaries and also a total of ?78,626,833.69 being 17?% Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contributions had not been paid. Also "five people had been retained unlawfully as temporary workers for indefinite periods," stated in the report, a copy of which Chronicle has stumbled on.

The observations do not, per se, indict the three men, as their responses will determine the final report to be released by the government's august auditing body. They could be exonerated from some or all of the suspected offences or their respective administrations could be held for the offences.

While the responses of the three gentlemen are awaited, the recommendations of the A-G are that management of the GNA should be held liable and be made to refund the ?92,709,736.02 salary arrears underpaid to the staff. "This is without prejudice to any legal action that may be taken against them."

The overpayment of ?33,823,878.93 to some staff should be refunded by the staff and the correct basic salaries of the 74 officers listed in the A-G's report should be restored to them forthwith. Management should recover an outstanding advance of ?923,533,59 from some 18 officers listed in the report.

Management should also "ensure that the outstanding social security contributions are paid without further delay and offer permanent employment to the five temporary workers." When reached on March 5, Mr. Johnson confirmed having received a report from the Auditor General in August last year and said he responded to it in November the same year.

Following persistent complaints from the GNA divisional union of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) that management allegedly paid incorrect salary arrears to some staff members, the general secretary of the Public Service Workers Union (PSWU) requested that the A-G undertake a special audit review into the payment of salary arrears to the GNA staff.

"The A-G in considering the request and acting in consonance with Article 187(2) of the 1992 Constitution, undertook a review of the six salary arrears authorised by the Controller and Accountant-General between 1998 and 2001 for payment to the GNA staff," the report noted.

One Abraham Samuel Adjei, a chief technical superintendent of the news agency, who was also branch chairman of the PSWU, was very instrumental in bringing to the attention of the authorities the suspected irregularities. He petitioned the sector minister in particular to look into the matter late 1999.

On January 11, 2002, Adjei was elbowed out of the GNA. All what Adjei's dismissal letter, dated January 12, 2002, and signed by Mrs. Georgina Baiden, chairman of the GNA board of directors said, by way of explanation, was: "You are hereby informed that your services are no longer required in the Ghana News Agency."

Are unfolding events going to vindicate him as a fighter of a just cause who was cleared to cover up misdeeds?

A. C. Ohene reporting

Stay tuned.