Auditors openly take bribe to cover up wrongs in Ghana – PC Appiah Ofori

Auditors in Ghana openly take bribe to cover up wrongs by officials because their reports are not acted on by the state, a former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa Constituency, PC Appiah Ofori, has claimed.

He explained in an interview with TV3’s Johnnie Hughes Tuesday, September 29 that officials who are implicated in the Auditor General’s report are not dealt with by the state.

This situation, he said demoralizes the auditors and forces them to also accept bribes to cover-up wrongs in their reports.

He further noted that the fight against graft in Ghana has not been the best over the years.

“We are not doing well in the fight against corruption,” the anti-corruption campaigner said.

He added, “The Auditor General’s report even after being debated at the Public Accounts Committee and on the floor of house, after that those who have been put at the having engaged in corrupt practices there are any punitive actions against them. I have not heard anybody prosecuted.”

Mr Appiah Ofori further stated that although President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo did well by establishing the Office of the Special Prosecutor to deal with the menace, that office has not been given adequate resources to enable the prosecutor carry out its work.

“The Special Prosecutor said the resources he needed have not been adequately given to him. Akufo-Addo puts in measures to fight against corruption but it has only been mouth washed. The intention was good but the implementation is what has not been achieved.

“By this time I should have expected that many people should have been prosecuted from the NDC time to the present time.

“The Auditor-General’s report when they debate in parliament what do they do? Those who have been exposed as having engaged in corrupt practices what do they do?

“Because of this the auditors themselves when they go they also go and collect bribes and cover-up. I have proof, it happened in my constituency and likely it is going on nationwide,” he said.