PAC punishes Keta Hospital accountants for embezzling GH₵576,000

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January 22, 2016 12:18 PM

The money that was meant to purchase some logistics and drugs for the Keta community could not be accounted for when the Public accounts Committee enquire from the Ministry of Health on Thursday.

Asilenudzi Hayford and his assistant Mr. Francis Dagbale, Accountants at the Keta Government Hospital have been accused of siphoning the hospital's internally generated funds to the tune of ₵576,000.

Upon further probe, it was revealed to the committee that between January 2010 to May 2011, the two accountants altered figures already written on 96 signed cheques pertaining to the project.

After an audit found GH₵264,000 to have been unaccounted for, further checks into the expenses in 2010 showed a shortfall of another GH₵ 312,000.

Management has had a very difficult time trying to retrieve the monies. Although Francis Dagbale was prosecuted, a judge ordered that they refund 25,000 or face a 10-year jail sentence.

They paid the fine with cheeky ease, parliament was told to the shocking reaction of MPs.

Management of the hospital says they are struggling to institute a civil action against the two officials and have been left frustrated by the courts and the Attorney-General’s department.

"We are supposed to go to court again to a civil case to retrieve the money but we couldn't get the Attorney-General to do that for us. We have written to the state attorneys, no response has come. They only call us to say they are busy" officials of the hospital told Parliament.

According to the Management, it took an order from the Chief Justice to obtain a copy of court proceedings.

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