COVID-19 audit cover-up could breach Audit Service Act – Dafeamekpor
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.
South Dayi MP Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor has raised concerns that the Auditor-General's alleged concealment of key findings in the COVID-19 expenditure audit may violate the Audit Service Act. According to Dafeamekpor, Section 16 of the Audit Service Act mandates the Auditor-General to report the results of a special audit to Parliament.
This issue emerged following investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni's findings that the Auditor-General's special audit significantly downplayed COVID-19 fumigation expenditure. The investigation revealed that while the special audit reported GH¢96.3 million for fumigation, documents from the Ministries of Education, Local Government, and Transport indicated at least GH¢780 million in expenditure.
Additionally, the Audit Service had audited the Local Government Ministry's fumigation costs but did not incorporate these figures into the special audit's reported amount. Dafeamekpor emphasized that if Awuni's evidence is accurate, this situation could constitute a major public finance scandal, potentially the most significant since the Fourth Republic.
He stressed that the Auditor-General and his officers have a legal duty to report their findings to Parliament when undertaking a special audit. Failure to do so when the Audit Service has information on expenditures yet excludes them from their report to Parliament could be considered a breach of Section 16 of the Audit Service Act.
This could necessitate immediate action if the findings are substantiated, according to Dafeamekpor.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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