By Zainab.joaque@awokonewspaper.sl
Freetown, SIERRA LEONE – A thorough examination of bank statements, cashbooks, and payment vouchers related to disbursements by the Bo Government Hospital has raised concerns regarding the payment of rent allowances to two medical doctors. The investigation revealed that rent allowances were erroneously paid twice from two separate bank accounts.
Each of the two doctors received an annual rent allowance of SLE5,000. Upon scrutiny, it was discovered that on 8th August 2022, a cheque amounting to SLE10,000 was withdrawn from the Bo Government Hospital account at the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank. Additionally, on 15th August 2022, a cheque totaling SLE20,000 was withdrawn from the Bo Government Tertiary Hospital account at the Union Trust Bank.
Auditors, upon reviewing the financial records, found that the Hospital management could not provide a justifiable reason for duplicating the rent allowance payments, totaling SLE10,000, from both hospital accounts to the two medical doctors.
In response to the audit query, the Hospital explained that, due to urgency, management opted to use internal funds to fulfill the rent obligations for the two doctors. The statement further asserted, “This money was, however, withdrawn from the GoSL allocation and paid into the revenue account. Documents are available to substantiate this claim.”
During the audit verification process, the bank statement related to the revenue account was presented for examination. However, auditors faced challenges in identifying the specific transaction that would validate the reimbursement of the funds withdrawn for the two doctors. Additionally, no bank deposit slip was submitted for verification. Consequently, the issue remains unresolved.
The Bo Government Hospital now finds itself in the spotlight as questions linger over the apparent discrepancy in rent allowance payments and the lack of concrete evidence to support the reimbursement claims. The hospital administration may need to provide a clearer account of the financial transactions to address concerns raised during the audit process. ZIJ/7/1/2024
