investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has revealed that Ghana’s Audit Service confirmed it reviewed GH¢299 million in COVID-19 fumigation expenses by the Ministry of Local Government, even though this spending was left out of the Auditor-General’s official report.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express, Awuni explained that he contacted the Audit Service to find out why the Ministry’s fumigation costs were missing.
The Service responded with documentation showing the Ministry was included in the audit and clarified that all expenditures, including fumigation, had been examined. However, they insisted that the absence of the figures in the final report did not mean the spending was ignored.
Awuni questioned why such a large sum was excluded, especially since the Auditor-General’s report listed only GH¢96 million for fumigation. He stressed that the omission undermines the stated goal of the audit, which was to fairly represent COVID-19 revenues and expenditures, not just uncover wrongdoing.
He argued that leaving out major figures from entire ministries makes the report incomplete and unsatisfactory. His ongoing investigation now focuses on discrepancies between government records and the Auditor-General’s published COVID-19 audit, with the Audit Service’s admission forming a central part of the inquiry
