Editorial News of Friday, 22 June 2001

Source: --

Audit of GAF UN account

The Ghanaian Chronicle says Defence Minister Addo Kufuor on Thursday confirmed that he had called for an immediate audit into the Ghana Armed Forces UN accounts in New York following reports that the previous government used the account to guarantee for the acquisition of the presidential jet.

The account that was virtually being operated by ex-President Rawlings himself at the Castle represents deductions from allowances of Ghanaian soldiers on UN peacekeeping assignments. The minister expressed the difficulties of the external auditors due to the manner in which the accounts were operated. Chronicle says it gathered that the auditors are Price Waterhouse Incorporated.

"I have asked external auditors to audit both the external and the internal accounts because I have received reports that the security account was used to guarantee the acquisition of the jet. If there are any misallocations, they could be detected," the minister said. Meanwhile, senior military officials have hailed the move by the minister, adding that they were very much interested in what will finally emerge.