Covid-19 audit report: Mahama takes on Akufo-Addo

Former President John Mahama has said Attorney General Godfred Dame’s recent letter to the Auditor-General asking him to unpublish the Covid-19 audit report from the website of the Audit Service “is clearly meant to silence him and create a conducive atmosphere for corruption to thrive”.

In a tweet, Mr Mahama said: “President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration is not only indifferent in the fight against corruption – they are collaborators!”

The Attorney General's letter to the Auditor General is clearly meant to silence him and create a conducive atmosphere for corruption to thrive. President @NAkufoAddo’s administration is not only indifferent in the fight against corruption – they are collaborators!

— John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) February 15, 2023

In a letter addressed to A-G Johnson Akuamoah-Asiedu, Mr Dame said: “I observe that the report of the special audit on the government’s COVID-19 transactions has been published on the website of the Audit Service. In light of the constitutional provisions pertaining to the duty of the Auditor-General after the preparation of audit reports, I consider a publication of the COVID-19 audit report or indeed any audit report particularly when same has not been either considered by Parliament or referred to a committee of Parliament, premature”.

“I am mindful of the provision in section 23 of Act 584 which seems to mandate a publication of the reports as soon as they have been presented to the Speaker to be laid before Parliament. However, the laws governing the functions of the Auditor-General ought to be construed as a whole. The constitutional duty of the Auditor-General to submit his reports to Parliament and Parliament’s consequential obligation to debate and scrutinise same, will be grossly prejudiced by a prior publication of the report”.

“The proceedings of the PAC provide an opportunity for irregularities raised by the Auditor-General to be interrogated and queried. Persons and institutions affected by the report receive a further hearing on the findings of the Auditor-General’s reports at the proceedings of the PAC in Parliament. A prior publication of the Auditor-General’s report completely undermines the purport and meaning of article 187(5) and (6) and should not be encouraged. Consequently, I advise a withdrawal of the report on the Government COVID-19 transactions from your website before same has been debated by Parliament and considered by the appropriate committee of Parliament”, he noted.