The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has directed the Bono Regional Directorate of Education to take punitive action against Mr Lawrence Aboagye, Accountant of Menji Senior High school (SHS), at Tain, in the region, for embezzling GH¢21,229, belonging to the school.
The amount was part of school fees he collected from students, and instead of lodging the money into the school’s account, he decided to pocket it for his personal use.
Although Mr Aboagye has been demoted and made to refund the said amount per recommendations by the Auditor General’s report, members of PAC were of the view that the sanction against Mr Aboagye was not deterrent enough, hence the need for further action.
He has also been asked by the committee to refund the money with Bank of Ghana’s interest rate.
The PAC gave the directives at its sitting in Sunyani, on Monday.
The current Headmaster of Menji SHS, James Danso, told the committee that the school has introduced cashless payment system to forestall any future embezzlement.
Claims by the Headmaster that Mr Aboagye had paid GH¢15,000 out of the amount, could not be verified by auditors at the sitting.
The Auditor General’sreport also revealed that fuel payments by the school amounting to GH¢6000 were without receipts.
In a related development, Emmanuel Baafi, the headmaster of Salvation Army SHS, at Abobo, in the Dormaa Ahenkro municipality, answered procurement infractions amounting to GH¢174.00.
However, Mr Baafi told the PAC that he came to the sitting by public transport because the school has no official vehicle.
The Chairman of the PAC, James KlutseAvedzi, recommended that the school should be provided with means of transport.
FROM DANIEL DZIRASAH, SUNYANI
