The Auditor-General’s report has indicted the 2020 parliamentary candidate of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Techiman South Constituency in the Bono East Region for diverting state cash of GH¢28,000 for his sister’s funeral.
Mr. Christopher Beyere’s cover was blown at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing where he was cited for misappropriation of the public funds.
Members of PAC were outraged at the payment of the conduct of the past executive secretary of the Health Training Institution Secretariat.
The Auditor-General’s report on Public Accounts of Ghana, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for the financial year ended December 31, 2017, indicated that the former Executive Secretary of the collapsed Health Training Institutions Secretariat withdrew the taxpayers’ money for his personal use.
Health Training Institutions Secretariat was under the supervision of the Ministry of Health during the erstwhile NDC administration.
The Audit report on the Ministry of Health explained that Christopher Beyere on April 13, 2016, authorised and paid himself an amount of GH¢28,000 from the Internally Generated Fund (IGF) Account of the Health Training Institutions Secretariat.
This, according to the Auditor-General, runs contrary to the Financial Administration Regulation (FAR) of which, “Regulation 39 of the FAR 2004 requires a Head of department to ensure that moneys are utilized in a manner that secures both optimum value for money and the intention of Parliament.”
However the report noted that, “Contrary to the above regulation, we noted during our review of payment voucher number PV-16-035 that, Mr Christopher Beyere, the Executive Secretary of the Secretariat, on 13 April 2016 authorised and paid himself an amount of GH¢28,000.00 from the IGF Account towards his sister’s funeral”.
Consequently, the Auditor-General has directed Mr Christopher Beyere to refund the amount wrongfully paid, “failure of which he would be surcharged for recovery”.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Health, Mr Kwahu Agyeman-Manu, revealed that he has personally tried to invite Mr Beyere to pay the amount, but all attempts prove futile.
An outraged ranking member for the Committee, Mr Frank Okyere – Agyekum wondered why the ministry has been slow in recovering the amount and said it would decide.
The Health Training Institutions Secretariat was commissioned by the then Minister for Health, Mr Alex Segbefia under the NDC government in November 2015.
The Secretariat was to act as a regulatory body for all 85 public and private health institutions supervising student intake into all such schools and the tuition fees they charged.
However, the Secretariat was dissolved when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) assumed power in 2017.
