Ghana Auditor-General: CDD-Ghana Raises Concerns Over COVID Audit Omissions

• CDD-Ghana has expressed concern over omissions found in the Auditor-General’s COVID-19 expenditure audit, impacting anti-corruption efforts.
• Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni’s work revealed significant discrepancies between reported expenditure and actual findings.
• The Auditor-General's reports are crucial for public funds accountability, relied upon by CSOs, Parliament, and citizens.
• CDD-Ghana emphasizes the need for an official explanation from the Audit Service, as their previous response was deemed inadequate.
• The integrity of these audits is vital for anti-corruption institutions and could affect future investigations into public funds.

For legal professionals and compliance officers in Ghana, this development signals a need for increased scrutiny when evaluating the Auditor-General's COVID-19 expenditure reports.

The Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has voiced significant apprehension regarding identified omissions within the Ghana Auditor-General COVID audit expenditure review. These discrepancies are particularly troubling for the nation's ongoing anti-corruption efforts, according to Vera Abena Addo, who serves as the Programmes Officer for Elections, Rule of Law, and Anti-Corruption at CDD-Ghana. Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Ms. Addo underscored the gravity of the situation, highlighting that the Auditor-General holds a uniquely critical position within Ghana's accountability framework.

Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni’s work brought these omissions to light, revealing a substantial difference between the expenditure figures reported by the Auditor-General and those uncovered by his investigation. This disparity is considered too significant to be disregarded. While acknowledging that errors can occur in any public institution, Ms. Addo emphasized that the sheer scale of the omissions necessitates a clear and official explanation from the Ghana Audit Service.

The Auditor-General's reports are fundamental tools for monitoring the use of public funds accountability Ghana. Civil society organizations (CSOs), Parliament, and individual citizens depend heavily on these reports to ensure transparency and pursue accountability. This reliance was recently demonstrated when CDD-Ghana, alongside other anti-corruption organizations, utilized the Auditor-General’s recommendations to conduct follow-up work across 24 districts.

This specific exercise, which received funding from the European Union, was implemented by SODIL Ghana in collaboration with the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) and Transparency International Ghana. Such initiatives underscore the indispensable role that the Auditor-General’s findings play in facilitating external oversight and driving CDD-Ghana anti-corruption efforts. The integrity of these reports is therefore paramount to the broader ecosystem of public financial management.

The concerns raised extend beyond the potential financial losses associated with the Ghana COVID-19 expenditure audit. For anti-corruption institutions, the need to question the reliability of the Auditor-General’s work is deeply unsettling. Ms. Addo pointed out that the Audit Service’s previous response to Manasseh Azure Awuni audit findings did not adequately address the core issues, suggesting a focus on refuting accusations rather than explaining the omissions.

This situation poses a significant challenge to Ghana Audit Service accountability and the trust placed in its reports. For legal professionals and compliance officers in Ghana, this development signals a need for increased scrutiny when evaluating the Auditor-General's COVID-19 expenditure reports. The questioning of their reliability by civil society indicates potential weaknesses in public accountability mechanisms, which could have far-reaching implications for future anti-corruption investigations or litigation involving public funds.

Lawyers and compliance officers in Ghana should exercise increased scrutiny when relying on Auditor-General's COVID-19 expenditure reports, as their reliability is being questioned by civil society. This development indicates potential weaknesses in public accountability mechanisms that could impact future anti-corruption investigations or litigation involving public funds.

Source: Original reporting via Emma Ankrah, 19 September 2026