GAC report which is signed by Auditor General Yusador S. Gaye, GAC stated that during the audit of the fiscal years of (July 1, 2016-June 30, 2017), it was uncovered that officials at the ministry of Gender disbursed allowances in the aggregate amount of US$26,899.78 to a single Ecobank account 0113144707396301 owned by one Thomas Gbukpa who appears not to be on the ministry’s personnel listing on behalf of multiple employees/individuals.
GAC also said further payments were made to non-employees of the Ministry which leading to ghost employees which signifies waste & abuse of public resources.
The Commission further said during the audit period it requested from both former and current Ministers at the Gender Ministry to provide it with material justification why several persons’ allowances were deposited in Gbukpa’s account, including justification why several persons’ salaries were linked to a single account for deposit of allowances.
However, the GAC noted that in response to the inquest by GAC, the former Gender Minister (named withheld) was quoted as saying that Gbukpa was in the employed of the ministry at the time these disbursements were made.
Additionally, the former minister explained that the monies disbursed to Gbukpa were intended for the ministry’s employees in the counties for whom Gbukpa served as Liaison Officer.
“The Ministry decided to make a bulk payment in the name of Mr. Gbukpa for onward payments to these staffers due to numerous complaints regarding ineffectiveness and unnecessary bureaucracy that has characterized bank system in counties. The receipt of these monies by the targeted beneficiaries can be verified by payment receipts as attached,” the former minister was quoted by GAC as saying.
Furthermore, GAC said the Comptroller at the Ministry do not have records showing that diverse persons’ salary payments were made to a single account leading to high possibility that these monies might have landed in the wrong hands.
GAC additionally quoted authorities at the Gender Ministry of not having records to show Gbukpa was an employee at the Gender ministry.
GAC said as part of its desire to further seek clarity to the alleged malpractice, it invited the heads of the Accounting Services Unit at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Management of Ecobank Liberia Limited and former Deputy Minister for Administration, Ministry of Gender, Peter G. Roberts and Barcolleh Poronpyea to provide explanation into how Gbukpa’s account surfaced on the Ministry of Gender’s payroll.
The audit report said contrary to the statements made by former Minister Duncan Cassell and the Assistant Human Resource Director, the current administration at the Gender Ministry correctly affirmed that there is no record to substantiate Gbukpa’s employment with the Ministry.
She also said the absence of payment receipts to corroborate that payments were channeled through Gbukpa’s account to staff in the counties raises doubt about the authenticity of the former Minister and Assistant HR Director’s declaration, adding “we therefore maintain our findings and recommendations.”
GAC also said during the conduct of the audit, salary payments totaling L$282,746 were made to 25 persons for the period July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2016, whose names were not reflected in the personnel listing but on the payroll.
The Commission said the failure of the ministry to reconcile with the personnel listing could lead to ghost names and unjust payments resulting in the abuse of public resources.
The GAC called on the ministry to provide material justification why the personnel listing do not reconcile to the payroll.
