Minority accuses Ato Forson and Controller of illegally withdrawing GH¢1.4billion from DACF

The Minority in Parliament has levelled serious allegations against the Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, and the Controller and Accountant General, Kwasi Agyei, accusing them of unlawfully withdrawing GH¢1.4 billion from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) account at the Bank of Ghana in November 2025.

The group claims that this withdrawal follows a similar removal of GH¢11.3 million from the same account between February and April this year, a situation they say has crippled local assemblies and stalled critical development projects across the country.

Addressing journalists in Parliament on Thursday, November 13, 2025, Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh described the alleged action as a “blatant violation of the law” and called on President John Dramani Mahama to act swiftly to recover the funds.

He demanded that the full amount be restored to the DACF account by Tuesday, November 18, 2025.

“On November 4, they paid. The Controller and Accountant General released it, and it went into the account of the District Assemblies Common Fund. Then, on November 11, they blocked the same payment. On November 12, they swept the account. The amount involved is some GH¢1.4 billion,” Mr. Annoh-Dompreh said.

He referenced a Supreme Court ruling affirming that payments into the DACF are constitutionally mandated and cannot be tampered with by ministerial directive.

“The Minister of Finance and the Controller and Accountant General cannot direct or reassign these payments. As we speak, it is clear that the Finance Minister, together with the Controller, is micromanaging the funds of the DACF and redirecting these funds to wherever they so please,” he added.

The Minority warned that the alleged diversion of funds has left Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) starved of vital financial resources, severely undermining local governance and development.

They urged President Mahama to intervene immediately to ensure the full recovery of the funds and to hold accountable those responsible for what they termed a deliberate act of financial misconduct.