The Auditor-General has recommended sanctions against former senior officials of the Ministry of Sports and the Local Organising Committee (LOC). This follows the discovery of serious procurement breaches and weak financial controls. The irregularities amount to approximately GHC 1.15 billion. This figure also includes USD 5.2 million in revenue and cash control losses.
Former Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif is among those targeted. Former Chief Director William Kartey is also named. The former LOC Chairman Dr. Kwaku Ofosu-Asare faces sanctions too. They are cited under Section 92 of the Public Procurement Act. The audit found these issues were not isolated incidents. They were systemic and widespread across several areas.
These problems fit a larger pattern of governance challenges in Ghana. Public sector financial management has faced scrutiny. Recent years have seen increased calls for accountability. The report highlights a lack of oversight in significant public spending. This impacts Ghana's fiscal stability. It also affects public trust in institutions.
According to the report, the officials are named in multiple breaches. These include uncompetitive procurement approvals and single-source contract justifications. Weak price benchmarking and poor contract oversight were also found. The audit report is explicit about these failures. It states many require disciplinary action. Expert analysis suggests such findings often lead to investigations.
The sanctions question now moves to enforcement. This could lead to financial penalties or other disciplinary measures. Investors and the public will watch how these recommendations are implemented. Strong enforcement is crucial for restoring confidence. It signals a commitment to fiscal discipline.
The report details significant irregularities. JDK Travel & Tours was used for hotel services without proper licensing. This involved GHC 18.9 million. Fourteen contracts for catering and accommodation used fixed payments. These were worth GHC 336.63 million. There was no verification of actual usage. Sports equipment worth GHC 38.82 million was paid for but not supplied.
A major red flag was related-party contracts. JDK Travel & Tours, Delovely Co. Ltd, and Jorninas Co. Ltd are linked. Their contracts for transport, ticketing, and accommodation totalled GHC 150.62 million. Other contracts lacked itemised pricing or defined scopes. This made verification impossible for GHC 55.77 million. Large cash withdrawals of GHC 20.37 million bypassed Ghana’s GIFMIS system.
Unaccounted cash received from participating countries was USD 247,194. Sales of official Games merchandise lacked tracking. This raised concerns over missing income. Broadcast service providers were engaged by GBC without contracts, costing GHC 3.56 million. Prof. Amin Alhassan at GBC is also cited for sanctions. GBC broadcast contracts were approved five months late.
Staff were deployed under third-party contracts without cost recovery. This involved GHC 40.79 million. Projected broadcast revenue of USD 5 million was lost. Only USD 45,000 was collected in licensing fees. The state incurred USD 3.6 million in production costs. Free access was given to a major broadcaster without approval. This points to potential revenue loss opportunities.
Construction supervision failures led to defective works. Consultants certified these without quality documentation. This issue involved GHC 482.52 million. Seven procurements lacked documented approval authority. This amounted to GHC 45.96 million. Single-source contracts were approved with reservations. These were still executed, worth GHC 18.03 million.
Price reductions by the Public Procurement Authority were not justified. This concerned GHC 16.57 million. Fifty-five contracts were single-sourced without proper vetting. The report indicates a significant breakdown in procurement processes. These breaches affect public finances directly. They represent a large sum of taxpayer money.