Documents intercepted by JoyNews indicate that the former leadership and board of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) spent more than GH¢11 million on foreign travel in 2024 without the required government approval.

This action violates a 2020 directive from the Ministry of Finance, which states that no public service officer may undertake official travel without prior authorisation from the then Chief of Staff [Akosua Frema Opare].

Despite this directive, MIIF’s management proceeded with the trips.

According to a report by the Ghana Audit Service, the trips were undertaken without prior approval from the relevant authorities.

The Ministry of Finance’s Administrative Guidelines for the Implementation of Foreign Travel Allowances, issued in October 2020, require public officers at the rank of Director and below to obtain approval from either the sector minister or, where applicable, the Chief Director.

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However, auditors found that MIIF failed to comply with these requirements. The report further noted that MIIF’s disregard for the directive directly contributed to the breach.

Responding to the findings, MIIF’s Head of Human Resources insisted that all travels requiring approval from the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Director were properly cleared.

He explained that for international travel involving officers above the Director grade, the HR and Administration Department acted based on instructions from the CEO’s secretariat, adding that all travel request memos were available for verification.

Former MIIF CEO, Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng, also claimed that the Chief of Staff at the time had been informed of all the trips. However, auditors noted that no correspondence between MIIF and the Office of the Chief of Staff was provided to support this assertion.

Meanwhile, the Acting CEO of MIIF, Justina Nelson, told the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament that the fund’s spending was necessary to build the capacity required to operate its new office.

She appeared before the committee to respond to questions regarding MIIF’s expenditure.

Another audit of MIIF’s financial statements and annual reports revealed that the fund also spent more than GH¢2 million on sitting allowances within two years.

SP/MA

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