The Auditor-General has cited 19 past and current judges of Ghana’s superior courts for acquiring state vehicles – a move that contravenes Regulation 158 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378).
The said law, Regulation 158, provides that the Principal Spending Officer of a covered entity shall obtain the prior written approval of the Minister for the transfer, exchange, sale, donation, contribution-in-kind, trust and any other disposal of any vehicles of the covered entity.
It further indicates that any such disposal, lease and other action referred to in Sub-regulation 1 that is made without the written approval of the Minister, is void.
However, the 2021 Auditor-General's report states that the vehicles were “auctioned by the Service for GH¢1,023,507.96 without approval from the Minister of Finance.”
Some of the judges who were found culpable of the law included recently retired Supreme Court Justices Yaw Appau, E.K Mensah and Julius Ansah, all of who were found to have acquired state-owned vehicles contrary to the provisions of this law.
The Auditor-General has recommended the nullification of the auction of vehicles to the judges and wants the vehicles recovered.
“In the absence of approval from the Minister for Finance, we recommended that the auction should be nullified, and the vehicles recovered,” the report stated.
See page 190 for the relevant portion:
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