Mahama warns audit offenders to refund state funds or face jail
President John Dramani Mahama has issued a strong warning to individuals implicated in financial irregularities highlighted in the Auditor-General’s reports, stating that those found responsible will be required to refund misappropriated public funds or face imprisonment.
Speaking at a diaspora town hall meeting in the United Kingdom on Sunday, May 31, President Mahama expressed concern over the recurring financial losses recorded in the Auditor-General’s reports, describing the situation as a significant burden on the country’s finances.
According to him, the annual reports continue to expose widespread cases of misappropriation and financial mismanagement, underscoring persistent weaknesses in public financial accountability.
“Every year, you hear the Auditor-General’s report; Ghana loses 12 billion cedis from misappropriations and things. The Chief Justice has graciously set up audit courts,” he said.
President Mahama noted that the establishment of specialised audit courts marks a major step towards ensuring that audit-related offences attract meaningful sanctions beyond parliamentary scrutiny.
He explained that persons cited in audit reports would no longer be limited to appearing before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee but would also face legal proceedings aimed at recovering lost state funds and holding offenders accountable.
The President stated that the Attorney-General and the Auditor-General would collaborate to prosecute individuals implicated in audit infractions and pursue the recovery of public resources.
“The Attorney-General and the Auditor-General are going to take out all the people who have misappropriated, and we’re putting them in front of those special courts to either refund our money or proceed to Nsawam and go and catch some rest there,” he remarked.
His comments come amid heightened public interest in financial accountability following recent sittings of the Public Accounts Committee, during which several cases of irregular expenditure and financial mismanagement were examined.
One such case involved officials of the Ho Municipal Assembly, who were directed to refund GH¢138,000 within 60 days over audit-related infractions identified during the committee’s review.
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