On Thursday, June 13, during his cross-examination in the ongoing ambulance case, Richard Jakpa described his typical business procedures when dealing with the Ghanaian government.
As per Mr. Jakpa’s statement, correspondence to the office of the deputy Minister of Finance usually come from Secretaries of Chief Directors or Deputy Ministers.
Mr. Jakpa clarified that the substantive secretary of the minister of finance will ask the minister for approval after receiving these communications. The Secretary would attach the authorization seal to the letter after it was authorised.
The Bank of Ghana (BoG) or the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) could then move on with carrying out the directives mentioned in the letter.
He highlighted how crucial it is to have this authorization seal, which is the Finance Minister’s seal of approval.
Mr. Jakpa emphasized that in the absence of this security mechanism, neither the BoG nor the CAGD would comply with an order to debit Ghana’s consolidated accounts for domestic or foreign payments.
Throughout his evidence, Mr. Jakpa emphasized that the goal of this strict procedure is to protect Ghana’s financial integrity.
It guarantees that payments for work done by any Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assembly (MMDA) or for services given can only be authorised by the Finance Minister, with the necessary authorization and supervision.