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Governance Lecturer at the Central University, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, has slammed the Attorney General for naming some top Judges in an alleged illegal auction deal.

The Auditor General (AG), in a report, cited nineteen (19) former and current Judges of Ghana’s superior courts for acquiring State vehicles in violation of Regulation 158 of the Public Financial Management Regulations 2019 (L.I. 2378) which states that the principal spending officer of a covered entity shall obtain written approval of the Minister for the transfer, exchange, sale, donation, contribution in kind, trust and any other disposal of any vehicle.

The AG disclosed that the vehicles were “auctioned by the Service for GH¢1,023,507.96 without approval from the Minister of Finance”, therefore categorically demands that "in the absence of approval from the Minister for Finance, we recommended that the auction should be nullified, and the vehicles recovered".

But Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah says the AG's action is "unfair" and discriminatory.

He explained that the Judges acquiring State vehicles isn't a novel practice that should make the Attorney General pick on them. 

"Let's be fair to ourselves. If we say it's wrong and we all must stop it, let's stop but let's not single some people out . . . It's not fair!"

"How many public Universities do we have in Ghana? Check the records; every Vice Chancellor takes his/her vehicle home when he retires. Directors in the various Ministries take their vehicles home. Why are we being hypocrites? Is it the first time?", he argued.

Dr. Otchere-Ankrah made this admonition on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show Thursday morning.