Police collaborating with A-G to implement Auditor General's recommendations — IGP
The Ghana Police Service is working in collaboration with the Attorney-General's (A-G’s) Department to implement the recommendations of the Auditor General's Report for the state to retrieve money wrongfully paid to some individuals and institutions.
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The collaboration has become necessary because of the refusal of some individuals and institutions to refund money to the state, despite many reminders to them.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr John Kudalor, made this known on Tuesday when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament.
He was at the PAC together with his lieutenants and a Deputy Minister of The Interior, Mr James Agalga, to answer queries raised in the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Auditor General's reports in respect of the work of the police.
Cases
The 2011, 2012 and 2013 Auditor General's reports established that some people were paid for work they did not do and that they were yet to refund the money.
Others also did not return vehicles and other state items in their possession after leaving the Police Service or the service of the state.
CID to investigate
Mr Kudalor said he had already held a meeting with the A-G on the issue of the delayed payment of money to the state, saying that the A-G's Department would furnish the service with the list of all the outstanding refunds.
Thereafter, he said, the service would refer the cases to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for further investigations.
The IGP said he would ensure that a desk at the Police Headquarters took charge of the cases related to the Auditor General's reports.
Police infractions
The 2011, 2012 and 2013 Auditor General's reports established infractions on the part of the Police Service.
The infractions included the-payment of unearned salaries, items purchased but not routed through stores, non-deduction of withholding tax, failure to use vehicle log books to record quantities of fuel taken and unsubstantiated payments.
There were also instances when some police stations failed to attach payment vouchers to support transactions, the procurement of non-Value Added Tax (VAT) entities, failure to maintain fixed assets register, congested exhibit stores and vehicles left to rot at police stations.
Police responses
The Director of Auditing of the Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Emmanuel Ofori, said the service had taken actions to remedy the anomalies.
For instance, he said, now the purchase of all items was routed through stores, money had been retrieved for work not done and withholding tax recovered and paid into government chest and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
Mr Ofori said the service now prepared payment vouchers with supporting invoices at all the stations and that asset register was being kept.