ChaloG petitions OSP to probe illegality, corruption associated with collection, lodgment, retention of gov’t funds into private account

The Chamber for Local Governance (ChaLoG) has drawn the attention of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to what it describes as an illegality flying in “the face of the Public Financial Management Act 2016 and the associated corruption and under declaration of 70 per cent share” of funds of the Metropolitan Municipal District Assemblies (MMDAs) which is negatively affecting the execution of developmental projects in the country.

In a petition to the OSP, ChaLoG wants the OSP to investigate what it terms the illegality and corruption associated with the collection, lodgement and retention of Government funds into a private account.

“I write to invoke the powers of your esteem office, to urgently investigate the illegality and corruption associated with collection, lodgement and retention of Government Funds into the private company account of Digital City Solutions Ltd (DCS),” with Fidelity Bank, Ridge Towers branch “contrary to the officially published GoG account “myassembly.gov.gh” the petition signed by its Executive Secretary Elikplim Akahoho noted.

According to ChaLoG, “the so-called myassembly.gov.gh payment platform is nothing but a decoy account created and solely managed on a day-to-day basis by DCS, and neither the GRA nor any of the MMDAs is on it.”

It stressed that: “This so-called GoG payment platform to the best of our knowledge has not been approved for the collection, lodgement and retention of GoG funds by the Parliament of Ghana.

“The ulterior motive of the platform was to deliberately deceive the rate paying public into believing it was the official GoG account to collect their property rate taxes effective 2023.”

ChaLoG further noted that: “The illegal payment platform is being used as a channel to SECRETLY (with the tacit connivance and endorsement of the GRA Commissioner General) divert all payments (GoG Funds) into the DCS private company account,” instead of the Consolidated Fund (GRA Act, 2009. Act 791) or directly into the MMDAs Accounts (Local Governance Act 2016. Act 936).”

It also accused the DCS of deducting “30 per cent Commission from the GoG funds in its custody AT SOURCE without any audit nor any payment of taxes to GRA.”

It therefore petitioned the OSP to initiate investigations into the matter.

-classfmonline