In a recent edition of Ghana’s prominent anti-corruption television programme, Newsfile, hosted by Samson Lardy, discussions delved into significant financial irregularities plaguing key state institutions. The programme featured esteemed guests including Daniel Domelevo, former Auditor-General and Member of the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) Committee; Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, former Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice; Alexander Twum Barima, Esq., Deputy Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC); and Bobby Banson, a lawyer and lecturer at the Ghana School of Law. Key topics covered included financial malpractices at the National Food and Buffer Stock Company, the National Service Scheme scandal, and the ongoing tension between the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Attorney-General.

A major focus was the alleged illicit wealth acquisition by Abdul-Wahab Hannan, the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company. Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, disclosed during a Government Accountability Series briefing that Mr. Hannan allegedly acquired high-value properties in Accra and Tamale using proceeds from financial crimes during his tenure. Investigations reportedly uncovered a comprehensive list of assets, including a five-bedroom house at Chain Homes valued at $1.625 million, a three-bedroom house at Cantonments worth $600,000, plots of land at Airport Development estimated at $750,000, and a 17-bedroom boutique hotel at Gumani in Tamale valued at $250,000. Additionally, a four-bedroom bungalow in Dworwulu, Accra, costing GHS 4,142,451, and a 0.32-acre government land purchased for GHS 307,200 were identified. As a result, the assets of Mr. Hannan and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni, have been frozen as part of ongoing investigations.

However, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, a former Deputy Attorney-General, defended Mr. Hannan, asserting that he was an already successful businessman prior to his appointment as CEO in 2017. Mr. Kpemka stated that he personally knew Mr. Hannan to possess numerous significant properties and enterprises in Tamale before his CEO role, suggesting that not all his wealth could be attributed to his time at the Buffer Stock Company. Despite these claims, Mr. Hannan has denied the allegations made against him by the Attorney General, describing them as “untrue” and “deeply unfortunate.” Furthermore, Dr. Ayine revealed a sophisticated money-laundering operation involving suspicious transfers of over GH¢40.5 million through Sawtina Enterprise, a company allegedly linked to Mr. Hannan, with transactions carried out through multiple bank accounts.

Adding to the concerns about financial misconduct, former Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo highlighted the potential complicity of banks in facilitating corrupt activities. He expressed dismay that while banks enforce strict identification checks for minor transactions, they appear less vigilant when substantial sums are moved through their systems, suggesting that fraudsters or even the banks themselves might be colluding. Mr. Domelevo urged regulatory bodies to compel financial institutions to rigorously monitor and report unusual transactions to curb corruption effectively. This critique came in the context of recent disclosures by the Attorney General, including a demand for a $2 million refund from JA Plant Pool Ghana Limited due to alleged financial irregularities in the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) contract.

The discussions also brought to light the alarming scale of the National Service Scheme (NSS) payroll scandal, which has reportedly ballooned to GH¢2.2 billion from an earlier estimate of GHC548 million, following further investigations by the Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine. Daniel Yao Domelevo voiced serious concerns about the credibility of the country’s national payroll system, questioning how such massive fraud could occur within a single agency like the NSS. He expressed apprehension about the potential for similar or larger irregularities within the broader national payroll that manages salaries for teachers, doctors, and other public servants. The legal proceedings related to the NSS scandal saw an adjournment by the Accra High Court on October 17, as suspect Gifty Oware-Mensah, Deputy Executive Director of the Authority, was absent due to a two-day medical excuse. These revelations collectively underscore an urgent need for comprehensive audits and stringent measures to sanitize Ghana's public financial systems and combat pervasive corruption.