The Member of Parliament for South Dayi has condemned the practice in which senior public officers allow public funds to be paid into their private accounts for whatever transaction, even if legitimate.

Rockson Dafiamekpor said the practice, which is regrettably endemic in public institutions is criminal and must be stopped.

According to him, the practice has become a culture, a quick way to make money out of the public purse.

Explaining the culture on Joy FM's Newsfile programme, the NDC MP said these public officers instruct that these huge monies be paid into  their private accounts for at least six months, accrue interest on them, which they pocket after which they withdraw and payback the original amount to the state.

He was contributing to the PURC brouhaha in which the Executive Director Samuel Sarpong is deemed to have instructed to be paid into his personal account, an amount of over Ȼ400,000, cash belonging to the PURC.

Mr Sarpong has defended the transaction saying the payment of the money into his personal account was to facilitate the smooth organisation of an event in Kumasi.

He said every penny paid into his account was accounted for.

Mr Sarpong and the Director of PR and External Affairs Nana Yaa Jantua are both under investigations by the Bureau of National Investigations.

On Newsfile Rockson Dafiamekpor did not understand how such a transaction will be allowed.

Rockson Dafiamekpor

He shared a personal experience where a public officer had over a million cedis paid into personal account for an official transaction but he died in a road accident five days after the payment was done.

He was emphatic that the practice must be resisted.

Editor in Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper Kweku Baako Jnr could not understand how any public official will order payment of public funds into his personal account.

He said the practice is condemnable. Reacting to claims by the Executive Director of the PURC that the monies were accounted for, Mr Baako Jnr said the practice should not be allowed in the first place.

He said even if Mr Sarpong accounted for every penny, it may well be that the next director will not account for same for which reason the practice must be discouraged as much as possible.