The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Upper Manya Krobo in Eastern Region , Emmanuel Kwasi Lawer, has retrieved a total of GH¢119,900 in embezzled internally generated funds (IGF) and taken immediate disciplinary actions, including the dismissal of four revenue collectors and transfer of the District Finance Officer (DFO) Ransford Manu.
The Assembly Staff — were implicated in a scheme involving missing General Counterfoil Receipt (GCR) booklets ,diversion of revenue into a private account and delayed deposit of collected revenue ostensibly to embezzle the Internally Generated Funds.
In an interview with Starr FM’s Eastern Regional Correspondent, Kojo Ansah,the Hon.Kwasi Lawer explained that as a former assembly member, he was aware of the revenue shortfalls hence after assuming office as DCE went into the books and noticed some financial infractions and revenue leakages from late last year and early this year.
In March,he commissioned an internal audits which exposed irregularities in the IGF system.
The audit detected five missing GCR booklets, which were allegedly issued to revenue collectors but had no corresponding deposits into the assembly’s account.
“We realised we have gotten some GCRs missing.
Although, they were issued from the procurement officer to the finance officer, and he also issued them to the revenue collectors.It got into the markets, but the money was not coming out. So quickly, I called the regional internal auditor, they also came down and saw the report, so they got five GCRs missing in the system”.
He added ” Now, we requested the District finance officer to bring the GCRs. He mentioned so many things.We called those revenue collectors, and they all said they have accounted those monies to the DC finance officer”.
The funds were refunded to the Assembly’s accounts following pressure by the DCE who locked the suspects in his office and invited the police for their arrests.
According to the DCE, some of the suspects initially denied wrongdoing, but later confessed and returned the money when arrested.
“Shortly, we started retrieving. Within the week, they brought 27,000 Ghana Cedi and 25,000 Ghana Cedi.So, that was 52,000.They brought it to the office here. We quickly requested them to go and pay it to the district assembly’s account, and brought the payee’s slip.At the Police station, and amount of Ghc67, 000 was also recovered.
“That very day, they were able to retrieve the three GCRs, and that was the amount, amounting to 67,900 Ghana Cedi.So, when you add the 67,000 that they have paid at the assembly, then with the one I retrieved, plus the 52,000, then it’s Ghc119,900” The DCE explained.
The DCE stated that dismissal of the four revenue collectors were necessary, not only due to embezzlement but for violating revenue regulations which require collected funds to be deposited into the Assembly’s accounts within 24 hours not private account.
“They were paying the money to the Finance Officer instead of depositing it at the bank. That is against the rules. I dismissed them and replaced them with new, law-abiding officers who can help reset the Assembly in line with President Mahama’s RESET Agenda,” Hon. Lawer emphasized.
The DCE has also formally requested the Regional Finance Directorate to transfer the current District Finance Officer for his alleged non-compliance and obstruction in the retrieval process.
“If I have to always call the police before the Finance Officer acts, then I can’t work with him. I want someone who will listen and help fix things internally,” the DCE stated.
A minute dated July 15, 2025 in possession of Starr FM , detailed the findings in a meeting chaired by the DCE during processes to retrieve the funds.
It revealed that seven revenue officers were in possession of GH¢19,675.00 in unaccounted revenue.
One of the dismissed revenue collectors- Ebenezer Osei , admitted to withholding the revenue he collected because the Assembly owed him GH¢800 commission.
Abubakar Sadique, another revenue collector who owes GH¢5,432, claimed to have used the money to care for his sick wife. His plea for leniency was rejected, and he too was handed over to police for refund.
Stephen Adomako and Michael Asante- two other revenue collectors were both acquitted, as their owed funds had been collected by the DFO Ransford Manu.
Ransford Manu, the District Finance Officer, was identified to have received GH¢8,357 paid into his private bank account by the revenue collectors,holds two GCR booklets, and tore off a serial-numbered page from another to cover up embezzled funds .
He was handed over to the police and forced refund all the monies involved.
Source: www.kumasimail.com /Obed Ansah
