Arrests should happen before daybreak – Dafeamekpor demands action over audit claims

Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor says allegations that the Auditor-General concealed key findings from its COVID-19 expenditure audit could amount to a breach of the Audit Service Act. Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, September 15, the South Dayi MP said Section 16 of the Audit Service Act requires the Auditor-General to report the findings of a special audit to Parliament. His comments follow investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni’s latest investigation, which found that the Auditor-General’s special audit significantly understated COVID-19 fumigation expenditure.

The investigation found that while the special audit reported GH¢96.3 million as the cost of fumigation, documents from the Ministries of Education, Local Government, and Transport indicated expenditure of at least GH¢780 million. The investigation also found that the Audit Service had audited the Local Government Ministry’s fumigation expenditure but did not include it in the special audit’s reported figure. Mr Dafeamekpor said if the evidence gathered by Mr Awuni is accurate, the matter could constitute a serious public finance scandal.

“If what Manasseh Azure Awuni is further revealing is what is actually the case, then arguably we have the greatest public finance scandal of maybe the Fourth Republic.” He said the Auditor-General and its officers have a legal obligation to report their findings to Parliament when conducting a special audit. “Because you see, in consonance with Section 16 of the Audit Service Act, when the Auditor-General and his officers are mandated under law to conduct a special audit, they are again obliged, obligated under law to report their findings to Parliament.” “You cannot conceal any facts from Parliament.” Mr Dafeamekpor said the allegations become particularly serious if the Audit Service had information on the expenditure but failed to include material findings and recommendations in its report to Parliament. “So where the evidence, the pieces of material evidence that he’s pieced together, points irresistibly to the fact that they actually conducted the audit of the Ministry of Local Government and Transport, but in reporting to Parliament, concealed material findings and perhaps recommendations for consideration by Parliament and for perhaps leading to legislative reforms from Parliament, they’re in breach of Section 16.” He sai…

The Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, is demanding immediate arrests if allegations emerging from investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni’s latest investigation into COVID-19 expenditure are found to be true. Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, the South Dayi MP said the revelations could point to one of the most serious public finance scandals of the Fourth Republic. His comments follow Mr Awuni’s latest investigation into Ghana’s COVID-19 expenditure, which has raised questions over how pandemic funds were accounted for and reported.

Mr Dafeamekpor said the allegations become more serious if evidence shows that the Auditor-General’s office conducted a special audit but failed to report material findings to Parliament. He cited Section 16 of the Audit Service Act, which he said requires the Auditor-General and his officers to report their findings from a special audit to Parliament. Mr Dafeamekpor said such an alleged failure would concern the statutory obligation attached to special audits.

“That’s under special audits,” he added. The South Dayi MP said he was considering issuing a statement on the matter, but indicated that the allegations would require urgent action if they were established. “So me, I’m really hesitating to issue the statement I’m minded to do,” he said.