JAMES NAFURI AND CONTROLLER & ACCOUNTANT GENERAL'S DEPT. (KUMASI) [2000]DLCHRAJ5766

Date	2000-11-13
Suit No.	Our Ref: CHRAJ/TR/500/99/429
Citation No.	[2000]DLCHRAJ5766

BENJAMIN K. OPPONG

[2000]DLCHRAJ5766
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B050">JAMES NAFURI <o:p></o:p>(COMPLAINANT)<o:p></o:p>AND<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B050">CONTROLLER &amp; ACCOUNTANT
GENERAL'S DEPT. (KUMASI) <o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">(CHRAJ)<o:p></o:p>

Our
Ref: CHRAJ/TR/500/99/429&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE:
13/11/2000<o:p></o:p>

</div>commissioner:<o:p></o:p>BENJAMIN K. OPPONG DEPUTY COMMISSIONER LEGAL/OPERATIONS <span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#1F1F00">FOR <span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#111100">COMMISSIONER<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

DECISION<o:p></o:p>

</div>In a complaint dated 14th February, 1997, the complainant, Mr.
James Nanfuri invited the Commission to investigate the activities of Mr. J.E.
Owusu, the Ashanti Regional Director of the Controller and Accountant General’s
Dept. who he alleged was involved in multiple acts of embezzlement, dishonesty
and nepotism.<o:p></o:p>The complainant alleged among
other things that Mr. J.E. Owusu had appointed his own nephew one Mr. Owusu
Ankomah as a caretaker at the Staff Development Centre of the respondents at
Afful-Nkwanta, Amakrom. He alleged also that Mr. J.E. Owusu had also posted his
wife, Charity Donkor to the same centre as a Librarian, a position the
complainant said did not exist. He added further that these two people Messrs.
Owusu Ankoma and Charity Donkor were collecting ¢2,000 and ¢3,000 from visitors
on transit at the centre without issuing official receipts.<o:p></o:p>It was the contention of the
complainant that these acts would not have been tolerated by the former
Controller, Mr. Ewum-Toma and as such they ought not to be condoned by the
current Controller. He accordingly requested the Commission to take steps to
correct the anomalies to restore public confidence.<o:p></o:p>In her written statement to the Commission dated 8th May 1997 Ms.
Charity Donkor, wife of Mr. J.E. Owusu said that she was appointed by the
Controller &amp; Accountant-General's Dept. in 1988 as a Junior Accounts
Officer at the Regional Office. According to her she worked for four years
before she was transferred to the Staff Development Centre where she presently
worked as a Librarian and Supervisor. She added that her schedule at the centre
is to receive guests and accommodate them whilst they attended courses at the
centre. She indicated also that fees charged for accommodating guests were
¢2,000 for the main block and ¢6,000 for the outhouse. She admitted being
married to the Regional Director but denied any inpropriety in her being posted
to the centre, adding that she was posted there because no one wanted to work
there. She further stated that even though she had no formal training as a
Librarian, she was asked to go and supervise the centre and act as a Librarian
and she had to obey.<o:p></o:p>Ms. Donkor further stated that even though she was not officially
entitled to accommodation at the centre, the nature of her work necessitated
her being accommodated there. She also insisted that the post of Librarian did
exist in the Dept. but that people did not want to take up that post.<o:p></o:p>Mr.Owusu Ankoma, alleged to be
a nephew of Mr. J.E. Owusu in his statement dated 8th May, 1997 said that he
was employed in 1992 by the Controller and Accountant-General's Dept. as a
caretaker and posted to the Development Centre. He added that his schedule was
to take care of property at the centre, both movable and immovable.<o:p></o:p>He further indicated that even though both he and the Regional
Director were from Akrokeri, they were not in any way related as alleged in the
complaint. He added that he only met the Director for the first time at the
Juaben State Farms where he was formerly employed as an Assistant Farm Manager
and that he knew him only as a customer until his employment by the respondent.
He denied any knowledge of fees collected from guests at the centre, saying
that it was the Accounts Clerk, Ms. Charity Donkor who received the guests and
collected the fees against receipt. He however admitted occupying three single
rooms at the centre.<o:p></o:p>Thorough investigations were
conducted by the Ashanti Regional Office of the Commission during which Messrs.
Charity Donkor, Owusu Ankomah and other witnesses were interrogated. The final
report of the investigations conducted by a team of three investigators of the
Commission was forwarded to the Head Office for final recommendations and
necessary action.<o:p></o:p>