Sacked GEPA deputy CEOs keeping official laptops – Audit Report

Two former deputy CEOs of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) left with official laptops worth GhC16, 450 for their personal use, an audit report revealed.

The two Eric Amoako Twum and Akilu Sayibu were sacked alongside the CEO Gifty Klenam in June 2018.

According to the 2018 Audit report before Parliament, GEPA was compelled to buy new laptops for their replacements because the two refused to return the MacBook Pro.

“Our review disclosed that the Authority, in May 2017 procured three Apple Laptop computers (MacBook Pro) at a total cost of GH?24,675.00 for the official use of the former ES, Hon. Gifty Klenam and her two Deputies, Messrs. Eric Amoako Twum and Akilu Sayibu Authority. We however noted that the officers took along the laptops when they were relieved of their posts in June 2018.

“Hon. Klenam returned her laptop at the instance of the audit inspection team. Messrs Amoako Twum and Akilu Sayibu have not returned their official laptops, costing GH?16,450 at the close of our audit,” the audit report said.

It added: “The situation has denied the current deputy ESs use of the laptops resulting in the procurement of new computer equipment for their use. The practice could lead to official assets being taking over by other separating officers for private use without trace.”

The report said, “When contacted the former officers indicated that the laptops contained some personal information and therefore will either buy new laptops for the Authority or will pay for their cost.

“We recommended that Messrs Amoako Twum and Akilu Sayibu return or replace their respective laptops to the Authority without further delay.”

The auditors said their action is in breach of Regulation 1 of the FAR, 2004 (L.I.1802) which requires that “where a public officer is proceeding on transfer, leave or is for any other reason being relieved of the duties under sub-regulation (1), the officer shall hand over the financial, accounting records and assets to the person taking over from the officer.”

“We attributed the cause of this anomaly to disregard for the above quoted regulation as well as the officers’ seeming notion that the laptops were allocated to them as personal properties,” the report noted.