Former Assistant Auditor General, Odame Agyekum has called for an amendment to Ghana’s constitution to empower the Auditor General to prosecute.
Mr Agyekum believes the Auditor General if given more prosecutorial powers will bring a lasting solution to Ghana’s perforated public purse caused by gross corruption in various government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
Speaking exclusively on Akoma FM‘s evening political show Ghana Maadwo, the immediate past Assistant Auditor General Odame Agyekum said “most often when the Auditor General brings reports, it relies solely on the Attorney General to take the issue up and prosecute persons who have caused financial loss so when there is inaction on the part of the Attorney General to prosecute, then perpetrators are left off the hook and this enhances corruption”.
Mr Agyekum explained the Auditor General’s powers are very limited so whenever their findings are not taken up by the AG, then their report ends up on the shelves without proper implementation in the law.
He further appealed that some bodies and institutions such as the Auditor General must be empowered to the extent that even after filing reports on some infractions, there must be additional powers to take the matter up and prosecute such defaulters.
Mr Agyekum cited an example in 2021 when the Auditor General reported that a total of GH¢17,483,483,539 was captured as irregularities, a situation that he explained could be easily avoided if the Auditor General was empowered to prosecute.
