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Anyone who peddles falsehood before PAC will be locked up - Avedzi

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, James Klutse Avedzi, has put the police on alert to arrest anyone who will peddle falsehood before the Committee.

The move was in furtherance of an earlier threat issued by the chairman when officials of  the Ga South Municipal appeared before the Committee on Tuesday.

Mr Avedzi issued the threat following what he detected was the protection of the Municipal Chief Executive, Patrick Kwesi Brako Kumor, who ditched the Committee for the Results Fair, a forum to showcase government’s achievement underway in Accra.

The Committee was told by the assembly representatives that Mr Kumor was at the Results Fair at the Accra International Conference Centre, a facility opposite Parliament House.

But after about half an hour of engaging the assembly representative, Mr Kumor had still not arrived though the team had said he was on his way to face the Committee.

When the team was asked again, they revealed that the MCE was, after all, not at the Fair but was on his way from the office, giving thec an indication that the team was peddling falsehood under oath to protect the Mr Kumor.

“We will begin to bring the police here. So that whoever comes before us to lie, the police picks you up and lock you for 24 hours. We will begin to do that,” he indicated.

Reiterating that position at the commencement of sitting yesterday in Accra, Mr Avedzi alerted the police from the Parliamentary Protection Unit to be on the alert to pick up anyone the Committee suspects of perjury.

He reminded attendants that the Committee has the powers of a High Court and could order for anyone peddling falsehood under oath to be locked up.

He said the Committee was a very important Committee of Parliament clothed with the powers to investigate and enquire into the activities and administration of ministries and departments and must be taken serious.

Mr Avedzi, MP, Ketu North, said the Committee had been taken for granted over the years, but would be tough now to ensure proper financial accountability at the MDAs.

The Committee is sitting for seven days to consider the Auditor General’s report on the Utilisation and Management of District Assembly Common Fund Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies for the 2015 and 2016 financial years.

BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI

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