New Times Corpo­ration takes steps to recover embezzled funds

The Management of the New Times Corpo­ration (NTC), publishers of the Ghanaian Times and the Spectator says it is taking steps to recover embezzled funds from its former staff.

The Auditor-General flagged the former staff, a cashier, Salomey Quarcoopome in his report on Public Boards, Corporations and other Statu­tory Institutions for 2023 for failing to account for more than GH¢100,000 belonging to the Corporation.

According to the Audi­tor-General, Ms Quarcoopome ­for two years kept receipt books, tore serially numbered receipt leaflets of payments from some receipt books and other means to appropriate the money.

Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee of Par­liament in Accra on Thursday, Managing Director of the NTC, Mr Martin Adu-Owusu, said his outfit was pursuing the dis­missed staff for the balance of GH¢70,275.

To keep the integrity of the office, the MD said Ms Quarcoo­pome has been sacked and the matter reported to the police for further investigations.

“After it was identified, we realised that some of the receipts (books) could not be found, she tore and kept some of the receipts and some of the monies too were not banked.”

The police, Mr Adu-Owusu said were assisting in the recovery and handling the criminal aspect of same.

He said the audit department of the Corporation has since been propped up with the addi­tion of more qualified personnel to detect such deviant conduct in the future.

On debt recoveries, Mr Adu-Owusu said the NTC was taking rigorous steps to recover the over GH¢8 million owed the Corporation by some 45 organisations.

“We are issuing demand notices to our debtors” he said revealing that a larger share of the amount is owed by the gov­ernment agencies – the minis­tries, departments and agencies.

“The chunk of this money is with the government institutions but the payment is slow and it is difficult to do otherwise,” he said and called on all indebted to the Corporation to honour their financial obligations.

A credit management policy, he said has been developed to fast-track the collection and to effectively manage the Cor­poration’s credit management systems, the Credit Control Unit has been revamped.

Source: Ghanaian Times

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