The Judicial Service is after a former Court Registrar who was among over 105 judicial staff caught on camera by investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, receiving bribes to influence judgment in Ghana’s courts to recover about GH¢6,430.00 it failed to account for after collection.
According to the 2017 report of the Auditor-General, a former Registrar at Offinso District Court, Abdallah Yahaya Yeddor, between July and December 2015 understated the court deposits cash book entries by GH¢4,620.00. Similarly, between January 2016 and April 2017, the officer collected total revenue of GH¢22,998.50 but paid GH¢21,188.50 into the Judicial Service bank account leaving a difference of GH¢1,810.00.
The Auditor-General said the conduct of the former Registrar is in breach of “Regulation 24(1 and 3) of the Financial Administration Regulations, 2004.
“Any money paid to the government shall be paid within 48 hours into the appropriate public fund account and that a public officer who contravenes the above regulations constitutes a breach of financial discipline,” it said.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, the Deputy Director of Finance at the Judicial Service, Charlse Idan, said the former Registrar was dismissed from the Judicial Service after he was implicated in a committee set up by the former Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood, but failed to pay the unaccounted monies.
He, however, told the committee that the Judicial Service is in the process of writing to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust to use part of his entitlement to defray the monies.
But a Member of the Committee, who doubles as Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, was unhappy why the Judicial Service failed to prosecute the former Registrar.
But the Judicial Service Secretary, Justice Cynthia Pamela Addo, said the issue would be dealt with immediately she gets to the office.
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