Audit exercises conducted by the Ministry of Finance on Non-Road and Road sector arrears have revealed serious financial malfeasance and fraud to the tune of over 125 billion cedis. Special Advisor to the Finance Minister, Dr Osei Akoto told the Business and Financial Times newspaper that the audit report, which covered the period 1996 and April 2001 revealed that there were ‘ghost’ claims and double payments.

He disclosed that certificates of claim, which had earlier on been processed, could not be confirmed while others could also not submit the necessary receipts to back their certificates covering the expenditure and supplies which the government was supposed to have contracted.

Dr Akoto said those found to have indulged in false payments would face criminal charges. He said even though government owed contractors to the tune of 234 billion cedis, the Ministry of Finance was given a list of outstanding balances of 365.2 billion cedis.

The audit exercise also enabled the Ministry to handle the correction of deliberate and inadvertent errors involving up to 99.9 billion in overstated claims, understated amounts, repetitions, omissions and over payments. A special committee set up by the Ministry of Finance to investigate other problem areas, is yet to come out with recommendations for the appropriate action to be taken.