{
  "id": 8470404,
  "title": "Manasseh Azure backs calls for forensic audit into GH¢780m COVID fumigation spending",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/manasseh-azure-backs-calls-for-forensic-audit-into-gh-780m-covid",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-19T13:32:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/manasseh-azure-backs-calls-for-forensic-audit-into-gh%c2%a2780m-covid-fumigation-spending/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Manasseh Azure Awuni, an investigative journalist and coordinator of Pledge Against Corruption, has echoed calls for a forensic audit into Ghana's COVID-19 spending, specifically the estimated GH¢780 million allocated to fumigation efforts during the pandemic. Awuni believes such an audit is essential to ascertain the full extent of the expenditure and uncover any shortcomings in how the COVID-19 funds were managed. Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Awuni questioned the rationale behind government agencies spending hundreds of millions of cedis on fumigation when existing contracts and resources were reportedly available to carry out the service. Based on his investigations, the expenditure involved the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the Ministry of Transport, and the Ministry of Education, possibly amounting to a higher total if other ministries were also involved. Awuni contends that the expenditure may have been unnecessary, given the assertions by scientists that fumigation was not required. He also pointed out discrepancies in the handling of the expenditure by the Audit Service, citing previous audits of District Assemblies Common Fund where fumigation contracts faced scrutiny due to alleged non-delivery of services. The 2022 or 2023 position by former Acting Auditor-General James Klutse Avedzi, who recommended cancelling certain fumigation contracts due to poor value for money, supports Awuni's stance. He emphasized that similar scrutiny should have been applied during the COVID-19 audit. Awuni highlighted that the Audit Service's investigation did not adequately address these concerns, and the significant spending by ministries on fumigation did not seem to be fully captured in the Auditor-General’s special audit, leaving room for the figure of GH¢780 million to potentially increase as more expenditure is examined. Awuni suggested that the proposed forensic audit could also shed light on why government spent such substantial amounts on fumigation when existing contracts were already in place, questioning why so much money was spent when services were already contracted for. This comes following an investigation revealing a significant discrepancy between the Auditor-General's special audit figure of GH¢96 million for COVID-19 fumigation and documents indicating at least GH¢720 million spent by three ministries on the exercise.",
  "summary": "Investigative journalist and Coordinator of the Pledge Against Corruption, Manasseh Azure Awuni, has backed calls for a forensic audit into Ghana’s COVID-19 expenditure, particularly the estimated GH¢780 million spent on fumigation during the pandemic",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Auditor-General’s COVID audit omissions worrying for anti-corruption fight – CDD-Ghana",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/auditor-generals-covid-audit-omissions-worrying-for-anti-corruption",
        "published": "2026-09-19T13:47:20.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}