Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah has responded to former president John Dramani Mahama’s labeling of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led government as one of corruption collaborators.
Ahiagbah in a quoted tweet ‘defended’ the anti-corruption credentials of the president stating thus: “At least President Akufo-Addo is clear about his incorruptibility.”
Mahama via social media posts dated February 15, 2023 made the corruption collaborators allusion whiles reacting to a letter from the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Dame, to the Auditor-General, Johnson Akuamoah-Asiedu.
The letter, a legal advice from the government lawyer, pointed the A-G to obey procedures in law laid down for the publication of audit reports even though others interpreted same as an attempt to dictate to the audit boss.
The recently released report on COVID-19 expenditure in the country, revealed several instances of alleged financial malfeasance.
“The Attorney General’s letter to the Auditor General is clearly meant to silence him and create a conducive atmosphere for corruption to thrive,” Mahama wrote.
“President @NAkufoAddo’s administration is not only indifferent in the fight against corruption – they are collaborators!” he added.
Background:
After the Auditor-General released a damning Special Audit Report on its findings on the government’s expenditure of COVID-19 expenditures in the country since the deadly pandemic was recorded in Ghana, the Attorney General wrote a letter to the A-G.
In the letter, Godfred Dame asked Johnson Akuamoah-Asiedu to stop the publication of the report on the Special Audit of COVID-19 expenditures.
He further stated in the letter, based on Article 187(5) of the constitution, that the Auditor-General is rather mandated to submit his report to parliament, and in that report, draw attention to any irregularities in the accounts audited which is often concurrently published with the submission.
The Attorney General added that it was only after satisfying the constitutional requirement of submitting the Auditor-General’s report to parliament that the report might be considered final and relevant action might be taken thereon.
Source: ghanaweb