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The 2013 Auditor-General's Report has revealed that the Registrar-General's Department (R-GD) overpaid contract sums by GH¢443,170 to two companies in 2012.

It said Messrs Bu-Tech Services should have been paid GH¢2,730 for servicing air conditions at the R-GD but was paid GH¢443,170 on October 3, 2012, representing an overpayment of GH¢270,685.

The report said Green Zone Construction Company Limited carried out construction works at the R-GD office in Tamale in 2012 and was paid GH¢22,268.

It said subsequently, on December 28, 2012, a transfer of GH¢169,750 was made to the company, "but that payment was not supported by any work done and could not be justified by the administration".

The report, therefore, recommended the recovery of the overpayment of GH¢270,685 from Bu-Tech Services and GH¢169,750 from Green Zone Construction.

Produce officers for interrogation

The Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine; the acting Director-General of the R-GD, Mrs Gemima Oware; the Chief Director of the Ministry of Justice, Mr Sulaiman Ahmed, and the Chief Accountant of the R-GD, Mr Francis Nunoo, told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sitting last Friday that the extra payment had been retrieved from the two companies.

They were unable to give reasons for the overpayment and payment for work not done.

They said the principal accountant and the internal auditor at the time of the overpayment (whose names were not given) had been transferred to the Controller and Accountant-General's Department and the National Service Secretariat, respectively.

The PAC, therefore, directed that the said principal accountant and the internal auditor be made to appear before the committee for interrogation.

"Bring the internal auditor and the principal accountant at the time for further interrogation," the Chairman of the PAC, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, demanded.

No interest on overpayment

Mr Nunoo said the two companies did not pay any interest on the GH¢443,170 overpayment.

The PAC said the two companies acted in bad faith for receiving and retaining money that they did not work for for a long period of time.

It, therefore, directed the R-GD to initiate the processes to seek the payment of interest on the amount from Bu-Tech Services and Green Zone Construction.