NSA sets up 5-man c’ttee to probe Anglogold Ashanti project
A five-member audit committee has been set up by the National Sports Authority (NSA) to investigate and retrieve funds released to the authority by Anglogold Ashanti for the construction of outdoor multi-purpose sports courts in 2007.
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But the said multi-purpose sports facilities situated in Enchi, Wa and Obuasi.are reported to have either been abandoned or did not commence at all.
The Director-General of the NSA, Mr Robert Sarfo Mensah, said his outfit inaugurated and tasked the committee to delve into the Auditor General's report and make recommendations on whether to retrieve the funds involved or reprimand the officers involved in order to avoid a future occurrence per the new Public Financial Management Act.
An Auditor General’s report as far back as 2012 charged the NSA for misappropriation of the funds on administration purposes instead of providing the facilities, the reason for the release of the money.
The report indicated that the NSA contravened Section 179 (1) of the Financial Administration Regulations (FAR) thus affecting the successful execution of the project which was supposed to build sports courts in some selected areas in the country.
Despite Aglogold Ashanti releasing $2 million to the NSA in 2007 to help build the facilities, none of them could be located or sighted with the supposed one due completion having been an abandoned project at Enchi, Dadieso in the Western Region.
Responding to a report by the Daily Graphic last Wednesday, Mr Mensah said he was committed to ensuring the NSA retrieved the said amount and had given the newly formed audit committee two months to make recommendations on the way forward.
"I inaugurated an audit committee per the new Public Financial Management Act to delve into the Auditor General’s report and to recommend ways to retrieve the money if possible.
"We have asked them to look into the report to have systems and processes on whether to retrieve or reprimand. I always take audit report seriously and I am ready to fight to retrieve the amount.
"If it will have to take the appropriate state institutions to retrieve it then we are ready to follow it to its finality," he said.