Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has expressed concern over the Judiciary’s inclusion in the Auditor-General’s 2021 report, which cited several judges for the acquisition of state-owned vehicles without the required approval.
The report identified at least 16 current and former judges of the Superior Courts as having purchased official vehicles contrary to Regulation 158 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378).
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Under the regulation, the Principal Spending Officer of a covered entity must obtain prior written approval from the Minister before transferring, selling, exchanging or otherwise disposing of government-owned vehicles. Any disposal undertaken without such approval is deemed void.
Among those named in the report were retired Supreme Court Justices Yaw Appau and Julius Ansah.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story, Mr Dafeamekpor described the findings as worrying, particularly because they involved the institution responsible for interpreting and upholding the law.
“It is worrying that even in the 2021 report, these infractions are being flagged and cited by the Auditor-General and what is more worrying is that the Judiciary is the one involved,” he said.
The South Dayi legislator argued that the Judiciary occupies a unique position in Ghana’s constitutional framework as the institution responsible for determining breaches of the law.
According to him, allegations of non-compliance involving the Judiciary could undermine public confidence in the justice system.
“If the institution that determines breaches of the law itself engages in breaches of the law, then we are in a deep situation,” Mr Dafeamekpor stated.
The Auditor-General’s report recommended corrective measures in relation to the vehicle acquisitions in line with the Public Financial Management Regulations.
