The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has referred three Senior High Schools and some of their officials to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution over procurement breaches captured in the 2024 Auditor-General’s Report.
The affected schools are Breman Essikuma Technical Institute, Eguafo Senior High School, and Efutu Senior High School, all in the Central Region.
The referrals were announced on the second day of PAC’s sitting in Takoradi in the Western Region.
Speaking to Citi News on Tuesday, May 5, the Ranking Member of the Committee, Samuel Atta Mills, said the decision followed serious violations of procurement procedures uncovered during the hearings.
He singled out Eguafo Senior High School, saying the school procured goods worth GH¢122,192 from 19 vendors without going through a competitive process.
“There are so many issues with procurement and I have referred three institutions,” Mr Atta Mills said.
He explained that under the law, institutions are expected to obtain at least three bids before making a procurement decision.
“What you are supposed to do is that before you get into any kind of procurement, you are supposed to get three bids, and then you pick the best, but most of them just pick one,” he stated.
Mr Atta Mills said some officials even attempted to create the impression that due process had been followed when that was not the case.
“In fact, in one of the schools, when they went to a purveyor to get an invoice, the purveyor didn’t want to give it to them because he already knew they were going to pick somebody else,” he said.
“They only wanted his receipts just to put them out there for the auditors. So if you are working on procurements you need to follow the rules,” he added.
The development adds to growing concerns about financial management and procurement compliance in public secondary schools, especially as the Public Accounts Committee continues to examine infractions cited in the Auditor-General’s report.
Credit: Citinewsroom
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