The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has referred the Director of Internal Audit at the Ministry of Finance, Jacob Ahadzi, to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution over breaches of the Public Procurement Act.
This follows his admission that the ministry awarded contracts worth GHC1.3 million without approval from the entity tender committee, a clear violation of procurement regulations.
The committee stressed that such irregularities would not be tolerated under the law.
During the sitting, Ranking Member Samuel Atta Mills invoked Section 82 of the Public Procurement (Amendment) Act, which provides sanctions against public officers whose actions result in procurement breaches.
He insisted that the committee had no choice but to refer Mr. Ahadzi to the Attorney-General, emphasizing the need for accountability and strict adherence to procurement laws.
The decision underscored Parliament’s growing resolve to clamp down on financial irregularities within state institutions.
The committee also raised concerns over the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), questioning why the Finance Ministry’s Internal Audit Directorate was presenting evidence on its behalf.
Although proof was provided of a GHC6,400 refund by the GSS into the Auditor-General’s recovery account, the committee maintained that the GSS must appear before it personally to answer queries. It directed the Service to present its own documentation at a subsequent sitting.
