The management of the Ghana School of Law (GSL) has been referred to the Attorney General (AG) for prosecution following allegations of procurement breaches uncovered by the Auditor General’s report.
The report highlights that the Ghana School of Law procured various goods and services without securing the necessary approvals from its board, and in some instances, bypassed the required sole sourcing procurement process.
These infractions were brought to light during the proceedings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday, August 14, 2024. The committee, after reviewing the report, decided to refer the matter to the Attorney General for further legal action.
During the PAC session, Freda Prempeh, the Member of Parliament for Tano North, commented on the issue, stating, “The auditors found that payments for the procurement of various goods and services were made without obtaining approval from the board, and the transactions did not go through the required three different sources.”
Yusuf Osman, the Acting Chief Accountant of the General Legal Council, which oversees the Ghana School of Law, acknowledged the breach in the procurement process. He explained that while the suppliers involved were regular, registered vendors with the school, the necessary procedures were not followed in this particular instance.
“The suppliers were registered with the Ghana School of Law, and we had engaged them in several transactions where we complied with all relevant procedures. However, in this case, the additional invoices were not attached to the transactions at the time of auditing… We admit the oversight,” Osman stated.
James Klutse Avedzi, the Chairman of PAC, emphasized the seriousness of the infraction, indicating that the management of the law school would be recommended for prosecution.
“You have violated the law, and you have admitted to doing so. Therefore, we will recommend your prosecution,” Avedzi declared.
This referral marks a significant step in holding the management of the Ghana School of Law accountable for their actions, as the matter now moves to the Attorney General for potential legal proceedings.
