Audit GH¢49.7m South Africa Evacuation Spending, Kwasi Kwarteng Demands

A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communications Team, Kwasi Kwarteng, has called for an independent audit of the GH¢49.72 million spent on evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa during a period of heightened xenophobic tensions.

According to him, an independent probe conducted with the highest level of transparency is necessary to address concerns over alleged discrepancies in payment registers and flight records submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

His comments follow questions raised by the Minority in Parliament regarding the number of Ghanaians evacuated and the expenditure incurred in the exercise, including the cost of chartered flights as well as transportation and reintegration allowances paid to returnees.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue with Sammie Wiafe on Saturday, October 31, Mr Kwarteng stressed the need for a credible and transparent review process that would command public confidence.

“We need an independent audit done with the highest level of transparency to the good people of Ghana,” he said.

Mr Kwarteng suggested that internationally recognised audit firms such as KPMG and Deloitte could be considered for the exercise, arguing that the process must be open and credible enough for Ghanaians to trust its findings.

He clarified that his call should not be interpreted as a lack of confidence in the Auditor-General's office, but rather as an effort to ensure that any conclusions reached are widely accepted and beyond reproach.

“If at the end of the day we come to the realisation that Ablakwa is clean, so be it,” he said, referring to Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

The NPP communicator also cautioned against prematurely accusing the minister of misappropriating public funds, acknowledging that he could not determine how much, if any, money had been improperly spent.

“I am very slow in hastily concluding that he has stolen state money. Because if today, if you ask me how much he has stolen, I cannot tell you,” he stated.

However, he maintained that the minister had yet to provide what he described as a comprehensive and satisfactory account of the expenditure.

“But I can reasonably believe that he has not been able to provide an efficient, effective and conclusive account of what he expended. That one, I can boldly say,” he added.

The Minority has questioned the reported GH¢49.72 million expenditure, raising concerns about the cost of the chartered flights and the allowances paid to evacuees as part of the repatriation exercise.