Audit reports are not sacrosanct – Doe Adjaho

Edward Doe Adjaho has taken a swipe at the Auditor General’s Department over their inability to prevent audit reports from going public before they are officially laid before parliament as stipulated in the Financial and Audit Act.

Obviously incensed by the trend, the former speaker of parliament warned that the practice could compromise the very essence of which the aforementioned Act was enacted.

“My understanding of the law and the best Parliamentary practice is that prior to publication, audit reports must be laid in parliament. These reports are subsequently referred to the Public Accounts Committee for consideration and referred to the whole House,” the immediate past Speaker of Parliament said at a public event.

The 2016 Auditor General’s report on the MDAs is already in the public domain and has been the basis for media discourse in the past few days. The Auditor General himself has been in the media speaking to the issues.

“Yet, in recent times you read in the media about reports and when you try to get a copy from Parliament you’re told it has not been laid.

“Interestingly, these reports are generating public discourse ahead of the examination and consideration of parliament. This is wrong and impugns on the work of the Public Accounts Committee,” the former MP for Avenor Ave challenged.

He said these at the book launch of Mr Samuel Sallas-Mensah, former Member of Parliament for Upper West Akim in the Eastern Region.

In the opinion of Mr Doe Adjaho, audits reports of the AG are not sacrosanct, warning that its findings could be challenged in any court of competent jurisdiction.

“The truth is that auditors also do make mistakes. My position is that we should at all cost resist the temptation to leak audit reports which may not necessarily be final on the matter before the reports are laid in the House,” he added.

“I went on the net on my phone and I saw somebody against whom one of the adverse findings have been made against him, challenging two ministries and the Auditor General. It is not too good for us.

“Once you finish with your report send it to Parliament to do their work. When people are surcharged and they disagree, under the law they can go to the High Court to challenge the surge. Let us allow the due process and let us respect the due process. We should not allow these reports to become propaganda tools in the hands of politicians and I mean NDC and NPP in particular. This will absolutely undermine the process and create challenges that weaken the legislature,” Mr. Adjaho advised.