PAC orders arrest of Suame Assembly worker over GH¢404,757 scholarship lapses

•
Dr James Klutse Avedzi, Chairman of PAC

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has ordered the arrest of Raphael Sarfo Asamoah, a staff of Suame Municipal Assembly, in the Ashanti Region, who was involved in scholarship lapses amounting to GH¢404,757.

He was granted scholarship to study law at the University of Manchester, in the United Kingdom (UK), but failed to serve bond term after he enjoyed study leave with pay, amounting to GH¢404,757.11.

The Chairman of PAC, Dr James Klutse Avedzi, called on the National Intelligence Breau (NIB), to apprehend Mr Asamoah during the committee’s sitting, at Sunyani, in the Bono Region, yesterday.

According to the Auditor General’s report, Mr Asamoah who was the Human Resource Manager of the Suame Municipal Assembly, was granted a two-year scholarship (2020 to 2022) to study with leave with pay, at the University of Manchester, UK.

He was expected to serve five years bond term after completion of the programme, but serve only a year and went back to UK.

The Auditor General’s report recommended that the management of the assembly should liaise with the Head of Local Government Service, his employer, to locate the officer.

The assembly is expected to recover the total salary and scholarship grant from Mr Asamoah and lodge the money into the Auditor General’s Recoveries Account, otherwise his guarantors should be held liable for refund of the amount.

The Coordinating Director of Suame Municipal Assembly, Mr Johnson Nyarko, responding to the queries from the PAC, explained that Mr Asamoah upon his return, managed to secure another one year scholarship extension from the scholarship secretariat for further studies.

But his employer, the Local Government service recalled him back, which he had failed to comply with. Mr Nyarko added that his guarantors are also being pursue to the money.

FROM DANIEL DZIRASAH SUNYANI