PAC Chairman cautions witnesses against perjury

Dr James Avedzi Klutse, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament has cautioned officials who would appear before the Committee to avoid making false statements or providing wrong information as that could attract legal consequences.

Much as the hearings are not to witch-hunt officials who come before committee, Dr Avedzi explained that there was the need for them to be forthright in answers they would give for the interrogations.

Dr Avedzi, who is also the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketu North gave the caution at the beginning of public hearings of the committee on Tuesday, April 25, 2017, which would run upto Friday, April 28, 2017.

The Committee is to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the issues raised by the Auditor General in its 2015 reports referred to it by the Speaker of Parliament for consideration.

“I wish to state empathically that this committee meeting is not witch-hunting; it is not a witch-hunting exercise. Our mission is to ascertain the truth of the issue raised by the Auditor General in its report,” Dr Avedzi said on Tuesday at the beginning of its hearings, at Parliament House.

He added: “You’re however reminded that you’re before the committee to respond to queries raised by members under oath. Peddling of falsehood or deliberate misinformation could have legal consequences.

“You’re therefore advised to speak to things and if you do not have any information or you are not aware or sure of the information, please say so. We are open to frank discussions,” he told the witnesses.

During this week’s hearings, the committee would interrogate four reports of the Auditor- General, bordering on infractions on statements of foreign exchange receipts and payments of BOG for the half year ended 31 June, 2015 and half year ended 31 December 2015; performance reports on the disposal of government vehicles by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ministry of Health, and the performance report on drug use in Ghana by the FDA.

The issues to be interrogated about the Foods and Drugs Board are to ensure safety and quality of medicine use in Ghana.

The Public Accounts Committee is one of the accountability mechanisms established under the 1992 constitutions to ensure that public officials entrusted with public funds properly accounts for the resources under their custody.