The management of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has sacked the accountant who complained about how COVID funds were being misused by the hospital ahead of a probe by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
Mr. Awuni Akyireba petitioned CHRAJ to investigate his Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Oheneba Owusu Danso and one other over allegations of misappropriation of COVID-19 funds.
The hospital’s management described contents of his submissions as false and his explanation of same to the media as a breach of its rules and the basis for his dismissal.
The dismissal letter signed by the board Chairman Nana Effah Ampenteng, the Omanhene of Bompata Traditional area, and in circulation has directed the hospital’s director of finance to pay Awuni Akyireba all his entitlements.
The dismissal letter again directed the director of finance to delete Awuni Akyireba’s name from the hospital’s staff payroll effective 20th December, 2021.
Mr Awuni has confirmed receiving the dismissal letter on 30th December, 2021 from his immediate boss and told Starr News’ Ashanti regional Correspondent Isaac Justice Bediako that he will take legal action against the hospital.
Sources at the hospital say the internal disciplinary committee of the hospital did not give him a fair hearing over the case.
In November, the CEO and Medical Director of KATH, Oheneba Owusu-Danso, and Prof Baafour Kofi Opoku were accused of abusing their public office.
They were alleged to have diverted funds from the facility’s Covid-19 fund to purchase two luxurious vehicles.
The accuser, Awuni Akyireba, a Chartered Forensic Accountant at the Hospital, says he has evidence to prove his allegations and is thus petitioning the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to commence investigation into the issue.
In response, the management of the Hospital said the allegations are false and they will respond at the appropriate time.
According to Mr Akyireba, the duo had procured two new Toyota Camry vehicles at the cost of $116,000, which were allegedly obtained with Covid-19 donations by a businessman and footballer.
He said the vehicles were bought at a time when the Hospital is in a dire economic situation.
He revealed that all of the Hospital’s escalators had broken down except those in the B block, and some staff bonuses had also not been paid.
“We were told in the performance review by the Chief Executive that all directorates of the Hospital have incurred losses. Cumulative losses of these directorates according to him was in the region of ¢6.2 million.
“If we were in such a difficulty, where else did they get the money to buy those vehicles if not the Covid funds?” he said.
He is also asking CHRAJ to probe the Medical Director, Prof. Baafour Kofi Opoku, over abuse of public office for allowing his wife to drive and crash one of these new vehicles.
Speaking to LuvNews, Mr Akyireba said he’s willing to support a CHRAJ investigation with evidence to prove these vehicles were bought with Covid-19 donations to the Hospital.
“I’m offering my head on the chopping block; they can chop my head for this. The Medical Director gave our official vehicle, one of the luxurious vehicles, to his wife and the wife got an accident with it. I feel that constitutes an abuse of public office, it also constitutes a betrayal of the trust of the public,” he said.
However, lawyers for the KATH CEO in a response to some radio stations and newspapers said the allegations are untrue.
