The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) has begun investigating some officials of the Electoral Commission over the loss of 480,000 cedis from the Commission’s Endowment Fund.
Documents sighted by Citi News reveal that EOCO has started investigating some top officials of the Commission over the missing cash.
The officials are the Commission’s Deputy Chairperson in-charge of Finance and Administration, Georgina Opoku Amankwah, Chief Accountant, Kwaku Owusu Agyei-Larbi and Finance Officer, Joseph Kwaku Asamoah.
A letter written to the Chair of the EC, Charlotte Osei, dated July 4th, 2017 from the Acting Executive Director of EOCO, ACP K. K Amoah(Rtd) said ‘the suspects are assisting in investigations’.
The letter further stated that the officers in question should be made to proceed on leave, while investigations proceed.
Further checks however by Citi News reveal that the officials were on Wednesday directed to proceed on leave by the chairperson, Charlotte Osei.
Citi News has gathered the three proceeded on leave today.
There were reports earlier this year – 2017 that the Commission under the Chairmanship of Dr Afari Gyan had withdrawn money from the staff Endowment Fund to transact official Commission business.
The money was used between 2012 and 2013 for operational activities for the commission but was not replaced.
The commission was expected to reimburse the fund upon receipts of its funds from Government.
However this could not happen before Dr Afari Gyan left office.
When the current Chairperson, Charlotte Osei took over as the Head of the Commission, she demanded justification of the expenditure before any reimbursement could be made.
Citi News checks at the time showed that auditors of the EC were working with leadership of the senior staff association on the expenditure to enable a reimbursement to the fund.
They had however denied any report that either Deputy Commissioners, Sulley Amadu or Georgina Opoku Amankwah were implicated in any way in the utilization of the provident fund for personal gain.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
