Judiciary steeped in corruption - 1997 Report

The Judiciary is steeped in corruption and stinks according the 1997 Auditor-General's Report debated in Parliament on Tuesday.

The report revealed a catalogue of corruption, misapplication of funds and unnecessary interference in the day-to-day financial administration of the sector by the then Chief Justice.

Mr Alban Bagbin, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, asked the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to investigate Integrated Electrical Services Limited (IESL), which had contributed to most of the mess.

He called for the blacklisting of the company and its automatic disqualification to deal with any government agency. Presenting the committee's report, he said IESL in collaboration with certain top officials of the Judiciary managed to inflate prices and under declared tax obligations on a number of items purchased within 1996 and 1997.

He said the company had won the right to supply electric power generators and a number of computers and its accessories at inflated costs and through unexpected means.

Mr Bagbin, who is also the Minority Leader, said lack of proper development planning schemes, lack of proper co-ordination, an ineffective internal audit system enabled the disbursement of money from unapproved sources for its programmes.

He said, for instance, allowances meant for panel members of the Public Tribunals were misapplied. The Minority leader called for the establishment of a Tender Board in the Judiciary to scrutinise bids for all contracts and eliminate favouritism and financial irregularities.

Mr Steve Akorli, NDC-Ho East, said IESL supplied a computer and its accessories at 6,200 US dollars and a 130-kva generator at the cost of a 500- kva generator.

He said a committee set up under the chairman of Justice Brobbey, an Appeal Court Judge, had recommended 4,400 US dollars for the same computer and accessories but was rejected on the grounds that it was expensive.

The IESL also declared a turn over of about 86 million cedis during the period but records showed that its transactions with the Judiciary alone stood at 840 million cedis.

The members, who sucked his breath during his contribution, said the ironies were sickening and that all those involved should be made to pay.

Mr Nkrabea Effa Dartey, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, called the report:" A sad indictment on the Judiciary."

He said: "After reading the report, I was deeply disturbed. Mr Speaker, there is even no record on the company, which transacted business with the Judiciary at the Registrar-General's Department."

Mr Johnson Aseidu Nkestia, NDC-Wenchi West, chipped in: "Parliament has no tender board if you must know."