News:
June 25, 2020
The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison has indicated that his outfit is furnishing the Attorney General (AG) with the documents and information it needs to expedite action on the process of prosecuting culprits in the banking crisis saga.
Dr Addison said he wished the processes could be a bit faster but unfortunately they do not have control over the judicial process except to provide information necessary to support the AG’s work.
“We wished the processes could have been faster but we are working on it. We are supporting the Attorney General with materials to help them prosecute shareholders and directors that are culpable.”
Dr Addison made this known when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament to respond to some audit findings by the Auditor General.
Article 187(6) of the 1992 constitution charges Parliament to “debate the Report of the Auditor-General and appoint where necessary, in the public interest, a committee to deal with any matters arising from it”.
Parliament’s Standing Order 165 (2) has therefore assigned the PAC to examine the audited accounts of government showing sums granted by Parliament to meet public expenditure and of such other accounts laid before Parliament.
On Wednesday, Bank of Ghana appeared to respond to Report of the Auditor-General on the Statement of Foreign Exchange Receipts and Payments of the Bank of Ghana for the year ended December 31, 2018 which had nothing to do with the banking crisis saga.
The Committee noted that, transfers from Ghanaians in the diaspora to their family’s home are dwindling. The committee said that the 2017 and 2018 report indicated that what the commercial banks earned on inward remittances were very low indicating that more Ghanaians are no more remitting monies to their families.
However, the Governor indicated that such a conclusion cannot be drawn because it is not only the commercial banks that receive remittances.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com