Official says those who embezzle funds should be punished

Techiman, Sept. 7, GNA - Mr. Philip Ntiamoah, a member of the erstwhile Brong-Ahafo Regional Investigation Committee, has said revelations at the Ghana @50 commission confirmed that there was lax internal control and criminal negligence by public officials. He said the work of the commission had testified that there was financial misapplication and misappropriation during the celebration of Ghana's 50th independence anniversary.

Mr. Ntiamoah told the GNA in an interview that it was clear civil and public services were performing below expectation and the probe should be a lesson to all Ghanaians.

"If the government allows culprits in financial misapplication to go Scot free to continue with dubious deals within the civil and public set ups, it will not augur well for the country", Mr. Ntiamoah said. He cited the case of Mr. Yaw Sarpong, a bursar at Goaso who was merely warned by an audit tax force to refrain from embezzling funds and later transferred to La Bone Senior High School where he stole GHC 200,000.

Mr. Ntiamoah called on the government to ensure that immediate action was taken against people found culpable at the Ghana @ 50 probe. "Speaking as a tax payer officials occupying positions in both civil and public service should be held accountable for embezzling state funds", he said. 07 Sept 09