The Chronicle Editorial: PAC's action should not be a nine-day wonder

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliamentary has, over the years, been criticised for wasting the taxpayer's money to review the Auditor General's (AG's) annual report on ministries, departments and agencies, but failing to pursue the recommendations they make.

To these critics, the money wasted in public hearings of the AG's report by PAC to ascertain whether the former's recommendations have been adhered to or not could have been used on productive ventures that would benefit the larger society.

The basis of their arguments is that if at the end of the day, the recommendations they make about those who appear before them (PAC) are not implemented, then there is no need to probe the issue in the first place. But the PAC has always countered the argument with the explanation that it does not have the power to arrest and prosecute public officials who it suspects to have fallen foul of the law. The role of the PAC members is to write their report at the end of the public hearing, and submit it to the Speaker of the House.

Ideally, the Attorney General should have taken up this responsibility of prosecuting these public officials, who, in the opinion of PAC, must be hauled before court to answer charges of misappropriation and other financial offences.

Unfortunately, almost all the AGs this country has produced under the Fourth Republic have refused or failed to follow the recommendations made by PAC for prosecution of these public officials.

This notwithstanding, The Chronicle cannot blame both the past and present AGs, because Parliament should have submitted the full PAC report to him or her for the necessary action, which is never done. As a result of this lacuna, public officials see it as a routine practice to appear before the PAC and go away to enjoy their booty -because they know that at the end of the day, nothing would come out, even if adverse findings are made against them.

It is based on this that The Chronicle commends Mr James Avedzi, Chairman of PAC for ordering two officials from the Akotombra District Assembly in the Western North Region, who they found guilty of perjury. Despite being on oath, the two officials reportedly gave inconsistent testimonies when they were interrogated on the recommendations made by the AG.

They were subsequently handed over to the police for the law to take its course. It must, however, be put on record that the fact that the PAC ordered the arrest of the two officials does not mean they are guilty of the crime they are being accused of committing. The police will have to investigate the case, charge and place them before court, for the latter to determine their fate.

Nevertheless, The Chronicle thinks the action of the PAC deserves recommendation, because it would send or has sent strong signals to other public office holders that anyone who mismanages public funds could be punished, and that the public hearing is a serious business and not the other way round, as they had earlier perceived.

It is our hope that James Avedzi's action is not a publicity stunt, but is going to be the normal practice henceforth, to ensure the protection of public funds. The PAC must also lobby for the enactment of law that will empower it to prosecute the cases, so that the hard work would not be in vain, as the current situation seems to suggest.