The Director of Public Relations and External Affairs at the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) Nana Yaa Jantuah has tendered in her resignation from the Commission.

A memo addressed to the Executive Secretary, Samuel Sarpong but intercepted by Joy News says the resignation is expected to take effect on November 17, 2017.

Nana Yaa Jantuah has however applied to take her accruable leave beginning June 4, 2017, prior to her resignation in November.

No reason was given for her decision to resign but she together with the Executive Secretary have been at the centre of a BNI investigation over some financial malfeasance said to have taken place at the Commission.

On February 21, 2017, Joy News’ investigative journalist Kwetey Nartey intercepted documents revealing acts of financial malfeasance at the Commission.

The documents uncovered payments of some GHC400,000 transferred into the personal account of PURC’s Executive Secretary, Samuel Sarpong by the Head of Finance.

The money was said to have been used in funding nationwide public meetings on controversial reviews of utility tariffs.

The Executive Secretary however denied any wrong doing adding, every penny paid into  his account was accounted for.

It was also revealed that the Commission procured a software at a cost of GHC200,000 but was functional.

A PURC staff who pleaded anonymity said the software given to them was only a demo.

Nana Yaa Jantuah who was vehement in her defence of the increases in utility prices was also cited for spending some Ȼ120,000 on 350 hampers for Christmas.

The Commission was also reported to have paid hefty sums of money to Muslim MPs as part of the Ramadan celebrations.

In an internal memo dated July 23, 2013, the PURC released the money it called “protocol cash” for Muslim MPs on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy to “bless them in the Ramadan period”.

“As religion demands whatever is given to them would be used for themselves and their constituents,” part of the memo reads.

These payments and financial malpractices appeared to have angered some workers at the PURC who then petitioned the Chief of Staff for an investigation to be conducted.

The BNI has opened investigation into the allegations and has questioned over 20 staff of the Commission.

Both the Executive Chair and Director of Public Relations were said to have been detained by the BNI on Friday and released on Saturday but had their passports seized.

In the wake of the investigations, the workers union has demanded that the Executive Secretary Samuel Sarpong must be made to step aside because the investigations appear to be taking a toll on his performance at work.

But Director of Public Relations has taken a cue from the request by the union and has consequently resigned.

The letter contained in a memo to Samuel Sarpong read: “I wish to resign from the Commission effective 11th November, 2017. Prior to my resignation, I wish to take all outstanding leave which is accruable to me as a staff of the Commission  starting  from the 4th of June 2017.

Nana Yaa Jantuah has been working at the Commission for the past 13 years.