Scandal Hits St Monica�s College Of Education �

The authorities of St Monica�s College of Education in Asante Mampong, has confirmed that, they mistakenly transferred about GH�48,000 overpaid allowances of three teacher trainees into wrong accounts. The action has led the Controller and Accountant-Generals Department (CAGD) to take the full allowances of the trainees every month since October 2013 in an effort to recover the overpaid monies. Mr. Osei Kwarteng, the college accountant, explained that, the school noticed that 14 students had been underpaid while three others were overpaid with a little over GH�15,000.000 each, amounting to more than GH�45,000.00. He said the amount was withdrawn in cash and given to the deputy accountant to pay into the CADG suspense accounts but he paid the amount into a �wrong account. Under the directive of college authorities the students signed individual cheques on October 3, 2013 to withdraw the amount from the GBC Bank in Asante Mampong and gave it to the college accountant. Mr. Kwarteng confirmed taken the money in cash from the students for onward payment into �government chest,� saying: �That is what we normally do, it is a normal practice.� But some of the students who spoke to the GNA on condition of anonymity expressed fear that the monies had been diverted into private account compelling the CAGD to continue taking their full allowances for recovery. They said all the 17 students paid GH�150 totaling GH�2,550 each to the college accountant to rectify the anomaly but only those who were underpaid had the problems resolved. Mrs. Christiana Sabotie, Principal of the college said Authorities are following up at the controller to get the allowances restored to the affected students. Meanwhile, a source at the CAGD has told the Ghana Palaver that, the school authorities did not pay any money into its accounts, hence the continuous deduction of the trainee�s monthly allowance.