The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed the Ghana Health Services(GHS) to recover an amount of GH¢77,006.00 mortuary fees from one Stephen Kwabena Bartels, a mortuary attendant.
The amount represents monies paid on 554 dead bodies deposited at the Efia Nkwanta Hospital mortuary between June 2019 and July 2020.Chairman of PAC, Mr James Klutse Avedzi who issued the directives said the money should be deducted directly from the Controller General.
The directive was issued when the Ministry of Health and its agencies and departments including the GHS took their turn at the PAC to respond to audit infractions cited in the 2020 Auditor-General’s Report on the Public Accounts of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
It followed from a confirmation from Augustine A Owusu, Western Regional Deputy Director in charge of Finance at GHS and Solomon Tomeh, Regional Internal Auditor, to the Vice Chairman of PAC, Mr Samuel Atta-Mills, that they have not been able to recover the money from Mr Bartels, who has been transferred to a different facility despite auditors recommendations.
The two officers, however, noted that Mr Bartels has admitted to the offense of embezzling state funds and has henceforth, issued a standing order instruction to effect a monthly payment of GH¢2000 within a period of 39 months.
The Director-General of the GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboague, who sat close to the two officers, also confirmed that Mr Bartels has signed the undertaking to pay the money in monthly installments.
But MrKlutseAvedzi said the undertaken was not enough looking at the period within, which the total money will be paid. He henceforth directed that the money should be deducted directly from Controller.
With regards to sanctions, the Committee noted that a transfer to a different facility was not a harsher punishment and hence directed GHS to impose stringent punishment to serve as a deterrent to others.
In response, Dr Kuma-Aboagye agreed that the sanctions was not enough and said GHS will do further investigations and report back to the committee on the actual sanctions that would be imposed on him.
PAC commenced public hearing on the Report of the Auditor-General (AG) on the Public Accounts of Ghana -Ministries, Departments and Agencies for the year 2020 on Monday July 16.
At its first sitting, representatives from the Ministry of Finance together with a team from the Controller and Accountant-General Department took their turn to respond to some infractions cited by the AG followed by the Bank of Ghana.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Finance together with the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Controller and Accountant-General Department and the Ministry of Youth and Sports also appeared before the committee to respond to audit infractions.
The Ministry of Education was expected to also appear before the Committee to respond to some infractions, but they could not make it.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Health, its agencies and departments including the GHS, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Efia Nkwanta Regional Hospital, Accra Psychiatric Hospital, the National Ambulance Service all appeared before the committee to respond to some audit infractions.
Today, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Ministry of Gender and Social Protection, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development, Ministry of Defence as well as the Ministry of the Interior are all expected to appear before the Committee.
