Techiman South NDC candidate hot for chopping public funds

The 2020 National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Techiman South constituency, Christopher Beyere, is in double trouble and likely to face criminal charges for unlawfully using government funds for the private funeral service of his sister.

The Auditor General’s report had detected the financial malfeasance and asked Christopher Beyere to refund the money , an amount of GH₵28,000 or he would be surcharged for it but he has not returned the cash.

Kwahu Agyemang Manu, the Minister responsible for Health said he has personally done his best to get Christopher Bayere to return the money but the NDC candidate has not cooperated.

Christopher Beyere, when he worked as the Executive Secretary of the then Health Training Institutions Secretariat has been found by an audit report to have personally authorized and paid himself an amount of GH₵28,000 from the Internally Generated Fund  Account of Secretariat.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Parliament yesterday urged the Ministry of Health, under which the Health Training Institutions Secretariat falls, to as a matter of urgency, recover the amount of GH₵28,000 from Christopher Beyere and surcharge him for the unacceptable conduct.

The Auditor General’s report had detected the financial impropriety and recommended that Christopher Beyere should refund the public funds and that he should be surcharged if he failed to refund the money.

At the PAC sitting yesterday, Deputy Minority Leader and Chairman of the Committee, James Klutse Avedzi, indicated the frustration of the Committee’s members, noting that the Health Institutions continue to violate rules, procedures and legal requirement in the administration of funds.

He urged the Ministry to recover from and surcharge Christopher Beyere an amount of GHS 28,000.00 which he wrongfully paid to himself on 13th April 2016 from the IGF towards his sister’s funeral.

The Chairman also directed the Ministry to take steps to recover all monies misappropriated and improve upon their accounting and financial system since it was established that poor financial management and improper record-keeping remained a hurdle to be cleared to ensure the judicious use of public resources.

Members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) are outraged at the payment of GHS 28,000 by the past executive secretary of the Health training institution secretariat, Mr. Christopher Beyere.

The Minister for Health, Mr. Kwahu Agyemang Manu, revealed that he has personally tried to invite Mr. Beyere to pay the amount, but all attempts prove futile.

An outraged ranking member for the Committee, Hon. Frank Okyere – Agyekum wondered why the ministry has been slow in recovering the amount and said it would decide.

The PAC is probing the 2017 Audit Report and yesterday focused on the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA).