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Regional News of Saturday, 3 March 2007

Source: GNA

Law Students' Union denies Joy FM Report.

Kumasi, March, 4, GNA- The immediate past executives of the Law Students' Union of the College of Art and Social Sciences of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi has denied allegations that they had embezzled four million cedis belonging to the union.

They have also denied reports that the Provost has announced the withholding of their certificates following the embezzlement. In a statement issued in Kumasi on Friday, The Executives asked the Joy FM and its affiliate stations to retract the story and give the retraction the same prime and prominence as was given to the news item and apologize unreservedly to them since their image had been dented seriously by the report.

The Executives said in the event that the request is not met, they would advise themselves which may include a legal action. They said the news item came as a complete shock and surprise to them considering the degree and transparency and sense of probity which they handled the finances of the Union.

"The said news item which also alleged that the handing over to new Executives were delayed because of the malfeasance has seriously dented the image of the Union and impugned the integrity of the ex-Executives", they said.

They said the facts of the issue was that the union had its accounts audited some three week before handing over to the new executives and nowhere in the report was it indicated that the past executives could not account for or had embezzled some money.

"As a matter of fact, the audit report was boldly displayed on the notice board of the faculty", they said.

The Executives said the report was presented to the General Assembly of the Union at a meeting convened for that purpose and no where did it appear that there was any embezzlement of funds or that the Executives could not account for four million cedis.

Admittedly, they said the audit report revealed a wrong debit entry of some four million cedis by the union's Bankers but this error was corrected several days ago and the matter explained to members at the said General Assembly meeting.

When the GNA contacted Dr. Dr.Daniel Buor, the Provost of the College, he said it was unfortunate that the FM Station carried out that report without cross-checking the facts.

He said he never said anything about withholding of Certificates but rather cautioned the Executives to be careful with the funds of the union because if they mishandle them they would not be spared. 3 March 07