The Huge Dilemma Confronting KPMG

By Margaret Jackson

June 2, 2013

KPMG, the accounting firm engaged by the Supreme Court (SC) to count the controversial pink sheets submitted by the NPP with their affidavits are pretty much done with its workload and barring any unforeseen circumstances is set to send its interim report to the SC on Monday June 3.

But there were some lingering questions raised by the respondents which remain unresolved and has led to the scheduling of a meeting by the KPMG with all the parties involved in the case on Monday June 3.

Chiefly among the questions raised by the respondents is the issue bothering on the number of pink sheets so far counted. Whilst it is on record that the KPMG counted 13,928 pink sheets as against the 11,842 which the NPP claimed it submitted, the respondents are claiming that even the 13,928 pink sheets are bloated with dupes, triplicates and quadruplicates.

The respondents are also of the view that the pink sheets which were counted from the Registrar’s office are highly doubtful and cannot therefore be relied on as fool proof. It is on record that the pink sheets at the Registrar’s office were adulterated with additional 8 boxes of the “P” Category thus bringing the total number of boxes submitted by the NPP from 24 to 32.

Whilst the NPP is claiming that they supplied 11,842 pink sheets with their affidavits, the number strangely ballooned by over 2,000 to 13,928 during the audit. But the respondents are claiming that when the dupes are backed out the total number of pink sheets it will shrink to about 9,000.

This issue became a hotbed that the Head of the KPMG in Africa flew down from South Africa to meet with officials of the KPMG in Ghana and the parties involved in the counting of the pink sheets last week Thursday. I am told that the KPMG Head was of the view that the only way to determine who is telling the truth about the numbers is to count the pink sheets of the president of the court or that of some of the nine justices. This advice however did not go down well with the NPP who protested vehemently and even threatened to pull away their observers.

It was when the KPMG head stood his ground and told the NPP folks that he was not going to bend to their threats and that the goal of the KPMG is to do a comprehensive job that is fair to all the parties involved, did the NPP calm down. That is why all the parties have agreed to meet on Monday June 3 to resolve all the pending nagging issues.

I will say again that, to ascertain the truth of the matter and put this issue to bed, KPMG has to do the simple and honourable thing for the sake of truth and its own integrity. The whole world is watching how KPMG is handling this issue and any false move on their part will forever dent their record and reputation.

All the nine justices of the SC were given the same number of pink sheets by the NPP, with the pink sheets of the president of the court servicing as the control check. Therefore, it behoves on KPMG to count the pink sheets of the president of the court and any other two justices to know who is telling the truth. Otherwise, the whole exercise would be reduced to, “This is my number that is your number.”

The Registrar of the Supreme Court under whose watch we are seeing all these adulteration should never think that he is going to get away with this. He has a lot of explanation to give to Ghanaians when all is settled. Perhaps if the pink sheets at the offices of the president of the court is counted and the right number is determined, Ghanaians will know if indeed the Registrar is also speaking the truth or not.

As I have said before, if the number of pink sheets at the president of the court’s office ties with that of the NPP, I will join in damning the respondents. But if the number is different and rather ties with that of the respondents, it will put the pressure on the Registrar and the NPP to provide answers whilst connecting the dots on how those extra boxes found their way into the offices of the Registrar and eventually bloated the number of pink sheets.

magjackson80@yahoo.com http://majjacks80.blogspot.com