OSP probes alleged corruption in GH¢49.7m South Africa evacuation expenditure

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has begun examining allegations of corruption and corruption-related offences involving the GH¢49.72 million spent on evacuating Ghanaians from South Africa following xenophobic attacks.

The exercise, which ran from May 27 to September 4, brought 1,964 Ghanaian nationals home amid threats and attacks against foreign nationals in the country.

The investigation follows concerns over alleged discrepancies in the expenditure records, including duplicate entries, inadequate supporting documents and payments reportedly recorded against beneficiaries who say they did not receive the money.

In a public notice published on its website on Monday, November 9, the OSP said it was examining the records to establish whether the funds were properly accounted for and identify anyone who may have improperly benefited.

“The Office is examining alleged discrepancies between reported expenditure and payment records, including duplicate entries, inadequate supporting documents and payments recorded against beneficiaries who say they did not receive them,” the statement said.

The GH¢49,721,786 expenditure was disclosed by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa at a press briefing on September 7.

The amount covered chartered flights, commercial tickets, ground transportation, accommodation, feeding, medical services and reintegration allowances.

The OSP's examination follows questions raised by the NPP Minority in Parliament about the financial records of the evacuation exercise.

The Minority called for an independent audit after reviewing documents the Ministry provided in response to a Right to Information request.

It alleged inconsistencies in payment registers, flight records and supporting documents, and questioned whether all the reported expenditure could be reconciled.

The OSP stressed that its investigation is focused on the management of public funds and not the government's decision to evacuate Ghanaians facing threats in South Africa.

“The investigation concerns the management of public funds, not the Government's humanitarian decision to evacuate its citizens,” the statement said.