Mahama Vows Jail Terms, Refunds for Officials Cited in Auditor‑General’s Reports

President John Dramani Mahama has vowed to take decisive action against individuals implicated in financial irregularities uncovered in the Auditor‑General’s reports, warning that offenders will either refund misappropriated funds or face imprisonment.

Speaking at a diaspora town hall meeting in the United Kingdom on Sunday, May 31, the President expressed deep concern over the persistent financial losses highlighted in successive audit reports, describing them as a major drain on national resources.

He noted that the recurring infractions point to longstanding weaknesses in public financial management and 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.

According to President Mahama, the establishment of specialised audit courts marks a significant shift from mere parliamentary scrutiny to real legal consequences for those cited in audit findings.

He explained that individuals flagged in the reports will no longer only appear before the Public Accounts Committee but will also face prosecution aimed at recovering lost funds and ensuring accountability.

He stressed that the Attorney‑General and the Auditor‑General will collaborate to prosecute offenders and pursue the recovery of public money.

“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 stated.

His remarks come amid renewed public attention on financial accountability following recent sittings of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, where several cases of irregular expenditure and mismanagement were scrutinised.

Among them was a directive ordering officials of the Ho Municipal Assembly to refund GH¢138,000 within 60 days over audit‑related infractions.

---CitiNewsRoom