Burglers steal payment vouchers; snub cash at Trade Fair

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana International Trade Fair Centre, Dr. Agnes Adu, has stated that burglars broke into the office of the Chief Accountant of the Trade Fair Centre and stole Payment Vouchers (PVs), believed to contain information on some payments made.

She explained that, the burglars broke into the office in 2016 and stole some Payment Vouchers and surprisingly, left monies meant for the Centre.

Appearing before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Dr. Adu indicated that the Centre is concerned about the development that occasioned under the previous administration.

She reiterated a well-meaning Ghanaian would be astonished to hear that burglars broke into an office and stole Payment Vouchers rather than stealing monies.

Dr. Adu explained that thereafter the burglary incident happened; the La District Police Command took over the matter and started an investigation.

She pointed out that no further account documents exist in the company on the disbursement of some monies under the previous administration of the Centre.

Dr. Adu indicated that before the burglary happened, there was a misappropriation of some GH¢300,000 under the previous administration of the former CEO of the Centre.

She also revealed to the Committee that the former CEO has been called by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), to assist investigations on the GH¢300,000 misappropriated fund and the stolen Payment Vouchers by burglars.

She boasted that her presence at the Centre has caused lots of transformation, and that she had cleared majority of outstanding debts of Centre.

“I have turned things around in the Centre. Things are now working at the Trade Fair Centre and we have started filing our returns. Our clients have increased and outstanding utility bills have been cleared”, she disclosed.

*2016 Auditor- General’s Report*

According to the 2016 Auditor- General’s Report, The Ghana International Trade Fair Centre was cited on an account of a burglary that happened at the office of the Chief Accountant of the Centre.

In the A-Gs, report, it was revealed that Payments Vouchers (PVs) and other relevant accounting documents of the Centre other than monies accumulated and kept in the office were stolen by the burglars.

The report showed that the incident was reported to the La District Police Command on April 11, 2016 for investigations.

The report revealed that the burglary happened after the Centre was cited by the Auditor-General for misappropriation of funds and unaccounted emergency expenses of the Centre.

The Auditor-General cited the former accountant of the Centre for misappropriation of funds of GH¢37,000,000contrary to the Financial Administration Regulations, 2004, (LI 1802) and surcharged him.

By: Theresa Adezewa Aryeetey