The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has given a two-week ultimatum to the Management of Bui Power Authority (BPA) to recover $45,516.00 from Broadway Mart, an auctioneering firm.
The amount is the value of 11 unserviceable vehicles and a motorbike, which Broadway Mart auctioned in December 2020, but failed to pay the proceeds of $45,516.00 into the Consolidated Fund.
Dr James Klutse Avedzi, the Chairman of PAC, directed Mr Samuel Kofi Ahiave Dzamesi, the Chief Executive Officer of BPA, to retrieve the money when the latter appeared before the Committee to respond to queries raised against the BPA in the Auditor-General’s Report for the year ending December 31, 2022.
“We are giving you two weeks to take action and then report back to the Committee,” Dr Avedzi stated.
Accompanying Mr Dzamesi to the PAC were Mrs Jemima Fayah, Finance Director, and Mr Franklin Nana Adei, Head of Legal, BPA.
According to the Auditors, approval was given to the Authority per the letter referenced OP/1002/COS dated 20th November, 2020, from the Office of the President to dispose of unserviceable vehicles belonging to the Authority.
The proceeds accruing from the auction sales were to be paid into the Non-Tax Revenue Account at Bank of Ghana.
“We noted that an auctioneer, Broadway Mart, who supervised the sale of 11 unserviceable vehicles and a motorbike in December 2020 failed to pay the proceeds of $45,516.00 from the auction into the Consolidated Fund.”
The DVLA registration numbers of the vehicles and a motorbike auctioned are: GV 2264-14 Ford Ranger P UP; GV 155-14 Ford Ranger P UP; GV 2258-14 Ford Ranger P UP; GN 3826-10 Nissan Teana SAL; GN 3825-10 Nissan Teana SAL; and GM 5332-14 MG Rover 750FL SAL.
The rest are GM 5333-14 MG Rover 7550FL SAL; GM 5335-14 MG Rover 750FL SAL; GM 5334-14 MG Rover 750FL SAL; GM 5335-14 MG Rover 750FL SAL; GV 189 14 Swaraj Mazda Midi Truck; and M-09-GT 1658 Yamaha Motor Bike.
The Auditors noted that the auctioneer failed to provide any documents to confirm the transfer of the proceeds into the Consolidated Fund.
The report indicated that the $45,516.00 was still outstanding in the books of the Authority as receivable.
The report said the Management responded that they previously made attempts to get all the necessary documents from the Auctioneer to confirm payments into the Consolidated Fund but to no avail.
Mrs Fayah noted that the Authority contacted the Auctioneer Registration Board to see if they could get through to Broadway Mart and that they also wrote a letter to the firm and copied the Auctioneer Registration Board.
“We’ve been calling, at a point he wasn’t well. It is becoming more and more difficult to get hold of the Auctioneer,” she said.
Mr Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor, a Member of PAC, said the matter must be taken up by the Head of Legal, BPA.
He urged the BPA to sue the Broadway Mart to recover the money adding that it could reach Broadway Mart through issuing a writ.
Mr Dafeamekpor urged the Head of Legal to put the Office of the President on notice before proceeding to Court.
Mr Franklin Nana Adei, the BPA Head of Legal, said the Authority would be guided by the advice of PAC.
GNA
ABD
15 Feb 2024
