GHAMRO Saga: Carlos Sakyi, Others Have 4 Weeks To Account For GHc1m Or…

Some members of the Carlos Sakyi-led Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO) board have been given four weeks to account for more than GHc1 million said to have been misapplied.
The management board, which was asked to step aside by the Human Rights Court in Accra on July 11, 2014, is said to have spent the monies from 2012 to 2014.

The management board which was asked to leave office was made up of Carlos Sakyi, Amandzeba Nat Brew, KK Kabobo and Mark Okraku Mantey.

This was made known at a media interaction organised by the interim GHAMRO board led by Nana Aboagye DaCosta at the music rights’ office in Accra Thursday.

Interim Administrator of the board, Abraham Nuetey Adjatey (Agya Abraham) addressing the media on the auditored accounts of GHAMRO, said, the various monies were withdrawn without proper documentation during Carlos’ tenure.

He disclosed that the about GHc1 million was used to pay salaries, travels, refreshment, contigencies, accomodations, and other undocumented withdrawals and transfers.

Short banking:

The Carlos Sakyi management board, according to the auditored accounts, did short banking of GHAMRO’s revenues. In 2012, GHc84,775 was received and GHc76,000 was paid into the GHAMRO account at the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) while in 2013, a little over GHc91,000 was received but GHc81,000 was paid into the same account.

Bank tranfers:

According to the interim report, in 2013, there were three bank tranfers made to some personal accounts with no stated purpose for the transfers. On December 11, 2013, GHc42,000, on December 12, 2013, GHc286,000 and on December 19, GHc100,000 were transferred from the GHAMRO account to these accounts.

ID Cards:

The interim audit also noted that in 2014, GHc51,560 was paid to a company, Motion Pix to provide GHAMRO with ID cards, without a contract, but the cards were never provided.

Vehicles:

An amount of GHc55,000 was paid for a Toyota vehicle that was never received while the whereabouts of a Mazda car that belongs to GHAMRO is unknown.

The report noted that payment vouchers were most often signed without figures, while the management board did not fulfil its tax obligations, and GHAMRO did not also register its assets.

The management board members, even though were entitled to only sitting allowances, they paid themselves monthly salaries ranging from GHc2,000 to GHc2,500. In addition, each person received a daily allowance of either GHc50 or GHc100 from GHAMRO coffers.

The C.K. Mann visit:

Highlife great, C.K. Mann fell ill and GHAMRO paid him a visit in 2014. According to the report, some select board members spent GHc3,000 on transportation, GHc2,400 on accomodation and GHc1,000 on contigency. They presented GHc600 to him. He also benefited from a welfare donation of GHc500.

The report noted that, out of the GHc11,500 that was withdrawn for the visit, an amount of GHȼ4,000 was unaccounted for. No receipt or documentation was provided for the said visit.
Accountability:

According to Agya Abraham, it has been very difficult getting the accused persons, except Mark Okraku Mantey, to come and either respond to audit queries or account for the monies.
Mark Okraku Mantey, he noted, has met the auditors and has been cleared of any financial impropriety.

The auditors, Eddie Nikoi Accounting Consultancy, have given the defunct board four working weeks, starting December 19, 2014 to either respond or account for the monies.
Interim Administrator said GHAMRO currently has GHc504,000 in its account at ADB.

Source:Myjoyonline.com