The Auditor-General, Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo, has rejected a request for an audit verification to be conducted in order for the payment of salary arrears for over 200 former Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Fourth Parliament.

The Chief of Staff, Madam Frema Osei Opare, based on a letter from the Forum for Former Members of Parliament (FFMP), led by Mr David Apesera, a former PNC MP for Bolgatanga Central in the Upper East Region requesting for the payment of the salary arrears, had asked the Auditor-General to do an audit verification on the request.

The former MPs, some of whom left Parliament over 10 years ago, are requesting the payment of arrears of salaries and emoluments amounting to over GH¢29.7 million.

But the Auditor-General, who was asked by the Chief of Staff to do an audit verification is arguing that it is invalid to make the payment.

“I wish to strongly advise that you [Chief of Staff] ignore the request for additional payment being demanded by the FFMP because their argument that the request is based on recommendations of or lapses in the Chinery Hesse Committee report is invalid.”

“The impression is being created that it is the committee and not the President who determines the emoluments for the legislature.”

“Article 71(1) of the Constitution provides that the salaries and allowances payable, and the facilities and privileges available, to the Legislature, Judiciary, Auditor General and others, shall be determined by the President on the recommendations of a committee.”

“My understanding of the constitutional provision is that, the entitlements of the legislature are those approved by the president and not necessarily the recommendations of the committee.

He added.

“For instance, the report issued by the Prof Dora Edu-Buandoh’s committee (PDEBC) recommended salary levels lesser than what was approved, hence higher amounts were paid to almost all (if not all) article 70 officeholders in 2017.

“Again, the PDEBC’s report recommended a formular for the calculation of the ex-gratia which was replaced by another one. Going by the Former MPs’s argument, can one then say that the Executive, the legislature, the Judiciary and others were all overpaid in 2017 for the 2013 to 2017 just because the approved emoluments and ex-gratia were higher than recommended by the committee? Certainly no.

To Mr Domelevo, apart from the fact that the claim by the FFMP is invalid because the CHC report for 2005 to 2009 was rejected, it may also amount to an abuse of power or conflict of interest to make additional payment (20% salary increase per annum for four years) to former Members of Parliament(covering a period of 10 to 14 years ago) especially when some of them are now the executive,” Mr. Domelevo indicated in his letter.

The Auditor-General further contended that because some of the MPs on the list for salary arrears are under investigation for receiving double salaries, it will not be right to pay any further monies to them.

Source: Graphic.com.gh