The Auditor-General must explain why COVID-19 expenditure by the Ministries of Local Government and Transport was not clearly captured in its audit report, the Vice Chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, Davis Ansah Opoku, has said.

The Mpraeso MP was reacting to fresh findings by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday.

Mr Awuni’s latest investigation has raised questions about the Auditor-General’s reporting of COVID-19 expenditure, particularly spending on fumigation.

The investigation found that the Ministry of Local Government spent GH¢299 million on fumigation, while the Auditor-General’s special audit reported GH¢96.3 million as the total fumigation expenditure. Mr Awuni has also said the Audit Service confirmed that the Local Government Ministry’s expenditure, including fumigation, was audited.

But Mr Ansah Opoku said the GH¢96.3 million figure related to a specific Ghana Education Service activity and was captured in the report.

“What I’m saying is that, from about 6:00 p.m. when we were called on JoyNews, the impression has been created that just GH¢96.3 million of the over GH¢700 million had been reported on COVID-19 expenditure, especially when it came to fumigation activities.”

“Now, it turns out that that isn’t the case. I mean, the GH¢96.3 million was for a specific Ghana Education Service activity, and it was captured under the report.”

He acknowledged, however, that the audit report did not provide sufficient explanation for some of the expenditures identified by Mr Awuni.

“And the report goes further to give further—and I can understand, there wasn’t much explanation on local government fumigation activities, I didn’t see much on transport, and all of that.”

Mr Ansah Opoku rejected calls for arrests based on the findings so far.

“But this does not call for arrest, like just like what my senior Rockson sought to create that impression.”

“I mean, we do not need to arrest people at this point.”

He said the Auditor-General does not necessarily report every expenditure audited, particularly where no infraction is identified.

“It is not everything that the Auditor-General reports—audits that he reports on.”

“I think that point must be made clear.”

“If there’s no infraction, do not expect the Auditor-General to report on that, and then maybe we may have to be dealing with several pages or several paragraphs of the Auditor-General’s report, even on institutions that are performing well and do not have any infraction.”

Mr Ansah Opoku said the immediate priority should be to obtain clarity from the Auditor-General and the Audit Service on the omitted figures.

“And so, what we need to find out from the Auditor-General, and from the Audit Service, is why you omitted the figures for Local Government and Transport?”

“What are the figures? Present them to us, and we will audit.”