Auditor General Demands Ghc300,000 Paid To Tony Lithur’s Law firm From Joshua Alabi

The Auditor-General has directed Prof. Joshua Alabi, to account for an amount of Ghc300,000 that was paid to the law firm, Lithur Brew and Co, while Alabi was the Rector of the University of Professional Studies (UPSA).

According to a report on the audited accounts of Public Boards, corporations and other statutory institutions, the money had been paid for no work done.

Prof. Alabi is to pay back the money with accrued interest at the Bank of Ghana interest rate.

Lithur Brew and Co is the law firm in which Tony Lithur, is a senior partner together with former Attorney General, Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, both of whom were on the legal team of former President Mahama during the 2020 election petition.

According to the report, the Management of UPSA, hired Lithur, Brew and Co on a retainer basis on 16th March 2014, and paid GHC263,670 as retainer fees. However, there is no evidence that any legal service was rendered.

Also, the law firm was allegedly hired through sole-sourcing without recourse to the Public Procurement (Amendment) Act, 2016 (Act 914).

The AG advised that the former Vice-Chancellor; Prof. Joshua Alabi and Lithur Brew and company be made to refund the amount with an interest at the prevailing Bank of Ghana interest rate.

It advised that UPSA set up its own legal directorate to facilitate its legal business.

The report also said over Ghc1.9million of an amount that was released by UPSA towards some works has also not been accounted for.

Out of an amount of GHC2,302,369.67 released to some officers of UPSA to transact official business on behalf of the University, only GHC353,279.43 was accounted for with the necessary supporting documents. 

Some GHC1,949,090.24 of the amount has not been accounted for, although the activities for which the funds were released had been conducted long ago.

Also, a Senior Administrative Assistant of the University of Cape Coast’s Accra office, Kwame Fenyi, and Francis Arthur of UCC Enterprises did not account for the total revenue of GHC 55,557.60 collected between June 2017 and April 2018.

Again, contrary to provisions in the Financial Administration Regulations, the College of Distance Education paid a total amount of GHC1,370,000 to two contractors for the supply of materials in transit but the items were never supplied.