Richard Jakpa, the third accused in the ongoing ambulance case, provided detailed insights into the procedural safeguards employed by the Ghanaian government for financial authorizations during his court testimony on Thursday, June 13.
Mr. Jakpa, a businessman, explained the standard procedures he followed when dealing with the Ghanaian government. He revealed that communications typically originate from the Secretaries of Chief Directors or Deputy Ministers, who forward letters to the office of the substantive Minister of Finance.
According to Mr. Jakpa, once these communications are received, the substantive Secretary of the Minister of Finance seeks the Minister’s approval. Upon receiving approval, the Secretary affixes the authorization seal on the letter.
Only after this crucial step do the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) or the Bank of Ghana (BoG) proceed with implementing the instructions contained in the letter.
Mr. Jakpa emphasized the importance of this authorization seal, which bears the Finance Minister’s approval. He insisted that without this security measure, neither the CAGD nor the BoG would act on any directive to debit Ghana’s consolidated accounts, whether for local or international payments.
“The authorization seal, bearing the Minister of Finance’s approval, is crucial. Without it, the CAGD and BoG won’t accept letters of credit (LCs) or any other financial directives,” Mr. Jakpa stated.
During his cross-examination, he highlighted that this stringent process is designed to safeguard Ghana’s financial integrity. It ensures that only the Finance Minister, with proper authorization and oversight, can authorize debits from the country’s consolidated account for payments related to services rendered or work completed by any Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assembly (MMDA).
Mr. Jakpa underscored that this rigorous approval process is essential to maintaining transparency and accountability in the management of the nation’s finances. His testimony shed light on the meticulous measures in place to prevent unauthorized financial transactions and protect the country’s economic interests.