The Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, is demanding immediate arrests if allegations emerging from investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni’s latest investigation into COVID-19 expenditure are found to be true.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express, the South Dayi MP said the revelations could point to one of the most serious public finance scandals of the Fourth Republic.
“If what Manasseh Azure Awuni is further revealing is what is actually the case, then arguably we have the greatest public finance scandal of maybe the Fourth Republic,” he said.
His comments follow Mr Awuni’s latest investigation into Ghana’s COVID-19 expenditure, which has raised questions over how pandemic funds were accounted for and reported.
Mr Dafeamekpor said the allegations become more serious if evidence shows that the Auditor-General’s office conducted a special audit but failed to report material findings to Parliament.
He cited Section 16 of the Audit Service Act, which he said requires the Auditor-General and his officers to report their findings from a special audit to Parliament.
“So where the evidence, the pieces of material evidence that he’s pieced together, points irresistibly to the fact that they actually conducted the audit of the Ministry of Local Government and Transport, but in reporting to Parliament, concealed material findings and perhaps recommendations for consideration by Parliament and perhaps led to legislative reforms from Parliament, they’re in breach of Section 16,” he said.
Mr Dafeamekpor said such an alleged failure would concern the statutory obligation attached to special audits.
“That’s under special audits,” he added.
The South Dayi MP said he was considering issuing a statement on the matter, but indicated that the allegations would require urgent action if they were established.
“So me, I’m really hesitating to issue the statement I’m minded to do,” he said.
“If this is really the issue tonight, then people should be arrested, and the arrests should be happening before daybreak tomorrow, because this cannot be countenanced under any circumstances in this country.”
His comments add political pressure to questions raised by Mr Awuni’s investigation over the handling and reporting of COVID-19 expenditure.
Also read:
