The Auditor-General, Johnson Akuamoah-Asiedu, has assured the public that his office will conduct a thorough review of assets declarations submitted by public officials to ensure accuracy and transparency.
This follows President Joh Dramani Mahama’s assets declaration at the Jubilee House in Accra on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.
The asset declaration, a requirement under Ghana’s Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act, provides a detailed account of Mahama’s financial holdings, properties, and other assets.
In a brief statement, Mahama emphasised the importance of transparency in rebuilding public trust.
He issued a stern warning to all government appointees, stating that those who fail to declare their assets by the end of the first quarter of 2025 will face severe sanctions including possible removal from office.
In response, Akuamoah-Asiedu emphasised the importance of meticulously examining the forms submitted by officials, including the President.
“We receive your form just like His Excellency has done…we are going to open it to see exactly what entries you have made,” he explained.
The Auditor-General detailed the review process, which involves checking for completeness and accuracy.
“When we are looking at it, what we are looking at is whether you have not left any blank spaces, whether you have not left your bank balances. Some may list all the banks that they have, but there’ll be no balances at it, and we will call you to come and redo it,” he said.
Akuamoah-Asiedu highlighted the challenges in verifying the information provided, such as the number of bank accounts or properties declared.
“If you say you have 10 bank accounts and you bring it to us, how are we to be sure that indeed it is only 10 bank accounts that you have? If you say you have two buildings, what can we do to ensure that it is exactly the two buildings that you have?” he questioned.
He also supported the idea of publishing the assets declarations, both when officials submit them and when they leave office, to ensure transparency and accountability.
“Reviewing the constitution as His Excellency has said, I think it’s a very, very important issue that we have to take seriously, and we also support the publishing.
“If you submit your assets and declaration forms, you should be able to publish it freely. And the time that you are leaving office too, we’ll publish it to see the changes that have happened ever since you started,” Akuamoah-Asiedu stated.
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