By Celestine Avi and Seth Eyiah
President John Mahama has announced the establishment of special audit courts to prosecute cases of financial irregularities captured in the Auditor-General’s reports, as part of efforts to strengthen accountability in public financial management.
Speaking at a diaspora town hall meeting with the Ghanaian community in the United Kingdom, President Mahama said the new system is intended to ensure that audit findings do not end at parliamentary hearings without consequences.
He noted that Ghana continues to record significant financial losses annually through misappropriation of public funds, citing figures from Auditor-General’s reports.
“We are setting up all these courts. Every year you hear the Auditor-General’s reports, Ghana loses billions through misappropriations and other leakages,” he said.
President Mahama explained that the initiative, in collaboration with the judiciary, will ensure that cases examined by the Public Accounts Committee are followed through with prosecution.
“The Chief Justice has graciously set up audit courts,” he stated.
He added that the new mechanism will involve the Auditor-General and the Attorney-General working together to ensure that individuals implicated in financial wrongdoing are brought before the special courts.
“This time, we are not just going to the Public Accounts Committee and say this person misappropriated and nothing happens,” he said.
He further indicated that offenders would either be compelled to refund misappropriated funds or face prosecution.
“After the Public Accounts Committee has looked at it, the Attorney-General and the Auditor-General will take those who have misappropriated and put them before special courts to either refund the money or face the law,” President Mahama added.
The President made the remarks during his engagement with Ghanaians abroad in London as part of his ongoing diaspora outreach programme.
One Response
Seems like a serious warning. Wonder how the SOE bosses will respond to that pressure.