The Presiding Member (PM) of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mr. Hon Desmond Addo-Binney, is to cough out several thousands of Ghana cedis he took illegally as transport allowance, Audit Service reveals.

This was revealed during the audit of the accounts of the AMA for the period January 1st to December 31st 2010. The PM is to be made to refund the monies with immediate effect.

A letter dated August 2011, sent by the External Team Manager of the Audit Service to the Metro Director of Finance and copied to the Metro Coordinating Director and Expenditure Accountant, has asked the AMA management to make the PM refund the monies in full and also to ensure that payment of any such illegal allowance to him is discontinued.

The External Audit Team Manager had this to say in the letter: “The audit revealed that the Presiding Member was allocated a vehicle in May 2009 with registration number GT 7057 Z with fuel, yet travelling and transport allowance is being paid to him for attending meetings within and outside the Assembly.” In 2010 alone, a total amount of GHC 1,200.00 was pocketed wrongly by Hon Addo-Binney as travelling and transport allowance according to records made available to the audit team.

It has also been revealed that the PM’s official vehicle which has broken down is costing the Assembly GHC10, 652.00.

“We recommend to management to disallow future payment of travelling and transport allowance to the Presiding Member (PM). Also the Presiding Member should be made to refund Travelling and Transport allowance paid to him during the year and the subsequent payments,” the letter demanded.