Foreign trips organized by SRC must be approved in advance by GSL Management - Committee.
The three-member Committee formed to investigate allegations of financial malfeasance within the Ghana School of Law (GSL) Students' Representative Council (SRC) has stated that funds belonging to the Council were "mismanaged and or misapplied" due to a lack of good governance.
The Committee also blamed the mismanagement and misapplication of SRC funds on a "lack of good governance and accountability, as well as non-compliance with the SRC Constitution."
The evidence gathered confirms that the interdicted SRC President, Wonder Victor Kutor, "acted against the best interests of the GSL-SRC and failed to exhibit the good character and/or level of integrity required for holding the high office of SRC President and enrolment as a lawyer," according to the Committee.
"The national interest and negative publicity that Ghana School of Law attracted following the allegations of conflict of interest and impropriety leveled against Mr Wonder Victor Kutor is indicative of the seriousness that the public attaches to the need for integrity in persons aspiring to be lawyers or to have anything to do with the administration of justice," the Committee stated in its report.
"It also reflects the school's impending reputational damage if appropriate sanctions are not applied."
As a result, it has made some recommendations, including "rescission of the contract for the supply of the Toyota Corolla as being void ab initio based on the non-existence of Submaxinn (Motors) Consult and the misrepresentation in the age of the car, a refund of the vehicle purchase price" by Mr Kutor, who was the recipient of the purchase price.
The Committee also suggested "criminal investigations into the procurement/bidding process due to the clear case of deception in passing off a 2014 Toyota Corolla vehicle as a 2015 model and doing so through a non-existent entity, Members of the Procurement Committee must be reprimanded for lapses in their evaluation of bids submitted for the supply of the Toyota vehicle."
It was suggested that the SRC's treasurer, Bernard Akyereko, "be reprimanded for his failure to investigate the SRC President's instructions to co-sign cheques for various SRC transactions, including the sum of GHS71,500.00 for the Toyota Corolla vehicle and the disbursement of monies paid for the USA trips for other purposes."
It also suggested that the "Momo business operated with Wonder Consult's sim card be suspended and an audit conducted to determine whether SRC funds were used in running the Wonder Consult Momo business and whether any profit accrued to the SRC."
"The SRC may apply for its own merchant sim card and engage an eligible candidate to operate it on its behalf," and "foreign trips organized by the SRC must receive prior approval from the Management of the Ghana School of Law, and students who embark on such trips must procure or be provided with travel insurance for the duration of the trip," among other suggestions.
The GSL's management formed a three-person committee to investigate allegations of financial impropriety within the SRC.
Mr Kutor was interdicted over allegations of financial malfeasance.
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