The Fund Administrator of the Covid-19 Trust Fund, who also serves as the Sanaahene of Tutu Akuapem Nana Asiedu, has responded to portions of the Auditor-report General’s that revealed that an outstanding amount of GHC254,203.00 had not been accounted for as of December 31, 2020.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, the traditional ruler stated that there was no cause for alarm because no misappropriation has been recorded as people perceive.
The Auditor-General’s report revealed that contrary to Regulations 78 (1) (a) (b) of the Public Financial Management Regulations 2019, (L.I 2378), ”our vouching disclosed that out of the GHc10,257.360 paid via payment voucher number 0590507 dated 16 June 202 to Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund, a private organization for the procurement of Medical Equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), only Ghc10,003,157 had been accounted for with an outstanding amount of GHC254,203.00 not accounted for as at 31 December 2020”.
The report recommended that management should ensure that the Covid-19 Private Fund account for the total amount of Ghc254,203.00, failing which the total amount of GHc254,203.00 should be recovered from the Covid-19 Private Fund and the same paid to the Co9vid-19 Trust Fund.
In his explanation, he said the issue is a simple one the GHc10,257.360 was used in importing the PPEs at the time when the Trust Fund had no procurement entity and also they had no authority in importing the PPEs.
As a result, we were forced to rely on the Covid-19 Private Sector Fund. We paid them and asked them to import the PPEs for us. They imported the items and distributed them in collaboration with KPMG. They conducted an audit after a year. They then informed us that the items they purchased had an extra cash of GHc250,000. They begged us to give them the money so they could use it for their activities, but the auditors refused and demanded that they refund the money.”
The money has not gone missing. They conducted their own audit and informed us that this was the amount remaining, and they requested that it be donated to them, but their request was denied. We have requested that they return the funds in writing. There is no reason to be concerned. It is also not money that has gone missing.
