President John Dramani Mahama has issued a stern warning to public officials implicated in financial irregularities, declaring that those found responsible for misappropriating state funds will be required to refund the money or face imprisonment.
Speaking at a town hall meeting with members of the Ghanaian diaspora in the United Kingdom on Sunday, May 31, the President expressed deep concern over the recurring financial losses highlighted in the Auditor-General’s reports, describing the situation as a significant setback to national development.
According to him, the persistent revelations of financial infractions point to longstanding deficiencies in accountability and public financial management that can no longer be tolerated. “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,” President Mahama stated. The President explained that the establishment of specialised audit courts marks a major shift in efforts to enforce accountability, ensuring that audit findings lead to concrete sanctions rather than ending with parliamentary scrutiny alone.
He noted that individuals cited for financial misconduct in Auditor-General’s reports would not only appear before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) but could also be prosecuted before the newly established courts.
President Mahama disclosed that the Attorney-General and the Auditor-General would collaborate to pursue legal action against persons found culpable and recover public funds lost through misappropriation.
“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 said.
His remarks come at a time of heightened public interest in issues of financial accountability, following recent proceedings of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, which examined several cases of irregular expenditure and financial mismanagement by public institutions.
One of the notable cases involved officials of the Ho Municipal Assembly, who were directed to refund GH¢138,000 within 60 days after being found culpable of audit-related infractions.
President Mahama’s comments signal a renewed commitment by the government to strengthen accountability mechanisms and ensure that public officials entrusted with state resources are held responsible for their actions.
