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Members of Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG) receiving prayers from the congregation
Members of Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG) receiving prayers from the congregation

ICAG calls on govt to deal with corrupt public officials

The Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG) has added its voice to the call on the government to deal decisively with public officials who embezzle state funds.
According to the President of the institute, Mr Christian Sottie, imprisoning corrupt state officials was not enough.

Rather, he said, any state official who was found culpable of misappropriating funds in the Auditor-General’s Report and by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) should be made to refund the money, in addition to a prison term, to serve as a deterrent to others.

“Many a time you find out that when persons are found liable for stealing state funds, they are let off the hook after noise has been made about the issue. But there must be strict compliance with the laws of the land,” he said.

Mr Sottie was speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic after a thanksgiving service by ICAG to begin its 2017 week-long celebration in Accra.

Just last week, a group of anti-corruption campaigners thronged the streets of Accra to demonstrate against the failure of successive governments to retrieve stolen funds from former public office holders.

The demonstration, Mr Sottie said, was commendable, but that could only yield the needed results if the current government showed a great level of commitment towards punishing corrupt public officials.

Professional accountants

Mr Sottie also emphasised the need for the government to employ the services of qualified accountants from recognised institutions to help curb misappropriation of funds by metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs).

“In some instances, you will realise that it is not the case that money has been stolen but the way the records have been kept and reported.
“This calls for the deployment of competent chartered accountants trained by the ICAG to deal with many of these challenges,” he added.

Stewardship

Earlier in a sermon, the Head Pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church at Adenta in Accra, Rev. Francis Narterh, he said there was the need for everyone to know that they were stewards in their various fields of endeavour.

Rev. Narterh said it was expected of chartered accountants to work in accordance with the laid down principles of the profession.

“Trained accountants must be diligent, faithful and trustworthy in their dealings in order to save the public purse.

“Good stewards have a personal fulfilment and joy and become examples and role models for others to emulate their lives as the blessings of God continue to shine on their lives,” he added.

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