Looters In Ghana’s Missions Abroad

The 2014 Auditor-General’s Report has revealed how Ghanaian foreign currency looters have been feeding fat on the tax-payers’ money in four of Ghana’s Missions abroad.

The culprits at the four Missions—Lusaka, Luanda, Brussels and Ottawa—have been fingered for either misappropriating funds or disbursing unapproved cash in different foreign currencies.

Albeit the Report did not mention the names of persons who were culpable for the financial malfeasance at the Brussels and Ottawa Missions, it was categorical in fingering Thomas A. Amoak, Accounting Officer of the Lusaka Mission, and King Pratt Ainooson and Madam Mandy as the duo who could not account for consular fees collected between April and November 2014 in Luanda.

Mr. Amoak had been fingered by the report for misappropriating a total of US$160,640 and €29,332 being revenue collected at the Lusaka Mission.

In the case of the duo at the Luanda Mission, the report’s review of cash management of the Mission revealed that a total of €64,655, US$96,094 and CFA4,435,000 all being consular fees collected for six months between April and November could not be accounted for by Mr Ainooson and Madam Mandy.

In the case of the Brussels’ Mission, a total of €58,746.62 was disbursed without authority.

The misappropriated cash was ‘swerved’ out of €143,090.10 retained internally generated fund (IGF) transferred into the Retention Fund Account.

The report noted that 32 Global Currency Reset (GCR) issued to Ottawa Mission and its Consulates could not be produced for audit inspection.