The Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu, Attah Issah, has called for mechanisms to ensure that monies illegally taken from the state are returned through appropriate channels.
His remarks follow discussions surrounding the Auditor-General’s report on government arrears and payables as of 2024.
Speaking on The Point of View with Bernard Avle on Channel One TV on Wednesday, March 11, Mr. Issah said recovering stolen public funds should be prioritised, even if it means individuals returning the money without going through prosecution.
According to him, while the justice system serves as a deterrent against corruption, efforts should also focus on recovering misappropriated resources.
“Sometimes the justice system can serve as a deterrent point. But we must also recover looted monies for the state,” he said.
Mr. Issah added that allowing individuals who have taken public resources illegally to return the funds through the appropriate processes could benefit national development.
“If there are avenues for people to bring back the resources they illegally stole from the state for us to use them to develop the country, I think there’s nothing wrong with that,” he stated.
Among other issues raised in the audit was the purchase of 10,000 metric tonnes of rice in 2024, which remains unaccounted for, raising concerns about transparency in the distribution of food supplies intended to mitigate the impact of a dry spell.
The Ministry also revealed that GH¢45.4 billion out of the GH¢68.7 billion in claims submitted by contractors and suppliers has been validated for payment. However, GH¢8.1 billion of the claims was rejected after auditors identified irregularities in the submissions, while an additional GH¢13.3 billion requires further validation due to inadequate documentation, missing contracts, or lack of third-party confirmations.
