"Tarzan" Exonerated

.... but investigations still in progress
An interim report presented by the Auditor General’s department has exonerated VRA Chief Executive, Dr Charles Wereko Brobby (Tarzan) of some of the allegations leveled against him by staff of the Authority.

Among the allegations were payment of unauthorized salaries amounting to ?350 million; claiming unapproved allowances in the form of imprest for foreign travels and acquisition of computers and vehicles for the Authority without following normal procedures.


But the audit found out that ''the CEO, Dr Charles Wereko Brobby’s appointment took effect from 24 August 2001. That he was given a consolidated salary of ?221 million per annum which comes to about ?18.416 million per month''.


From the payroll, the investigators listed monthly salaries and allowances paid to Dr Wereko-Brobby from August 2001 to March 2003. They also examined the Ledger Detail Report of the senior staff salaries and related it to the payroll.


''It was found that the figures which were on the Ledger Details Report and which formed the basis of some of the allegations were the aggregate salaries of the senior staff and not that of the CEO alone. Specific figures of ?350,033,508.95 and ?56,501,010 which were cited by the staff were the ''Salary Arrears-Accruals'' in respect of the anticipated increases for the senior staff of which provision was made'', the report stressed.

The interim report signed by the Auditor-General, Edward Dua Agyeman revealed that the VRA CEO had between November 2001 and December 2002, a period of 15 months, undertaken 12 trips overseas at a total cost of US$122,247.86.


The Auditor General was however unhappy about the fact that ''none of the 12 travels of the CEO was approved by the President, the Ministry (of Energy) or the Board'' and thus recommended that ''the CEO should obtain express written permission from the Chief of Staff, Office of the President before traveling abroad''.


Investigations are still ongoing into allegations of certain disbursements made in respect of members of the Board as well as the award of contract for the supply of computers and purchase of vehicles for the VRA.