Auditor-General’s report should lead to prosecutions, not scare tactics

Dr. Kabiru Tiah Mahama, a member of Parliament’s Finance Committee, has criticised the government’s handling of issues highlighted in the Auditor-General’s Report on Arrears and Payables as at the end of 2024, arguing that the revelations should prompt prosecutions rather than what he described as attempts to “create a scare.”

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, March 10, Dr. Tiah Mahama said that while exposing financial irregularities is necessary, authorities must go beyond public disclosures and ensure that individuals found to have breached financial rules are held accountable in accordance with the law.

“Exposing these things are good, but my problem is that they are not doing it with the intention actually to punish people. They are doing it to create a scare,” he said.

He emphasised the importance of transparency and due process, urging that accused individuals be allowed to face the courts before being publicly portrayed as guilty.

“We fully support any decision to ensure accountability and transparency and to make sure people involved in financial malpractices are dealt with in accordance with the law. However, we do not support the idea of presenting people as guilty before they are heard or before their cases are determined in court,” he added.

Dr. Tiah Mahama’s comments follow disclosures by the Ministry of Finance to Parliament, highlighting key findings from the Auditor-General’s report on government arrears and payables.

Among the issues raised was that 10,000 metric tonnes of rice, paid for by the government in 2024 to mitigate the effects of a dry spell, remain unaccounted for, raising concerns about the management and distribution of emergency food supplies.

The Ministry also revealed that GH¢45.4 billion of GH¢68.7 billion in claims submitted by contractors and suppliers has been validated for payment following a comprehensive audit and verification exercise.

However, GH¢8.1 billion of the claims was rejected after auditors identified irregularities in the submissions, while an additional GH¢13.3 billion requires further validation due to inadequate documentation, missing contracts, or lack of third-party confirmations.