PAC Questions Undocumented GH¢35.8 Million Payment for Police Deployment During African Games
Ghana’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has raised serious concerns over a GH¢35.8 million payment reportedly made for the deployment of 6,000 police officers during the 2023 African Games hosted in Ghana, after the Ministry of Sports and Recreation allegedly failed to provide supporting documentation for the expenditure.
The issue emerged during recent PAC sittings where committee members questioned officials from the Sports Ministry over the legitimacy and accountability of the expenditure linked to security arrangements for the continental sporting event.
According to reports presented before the committee, the amount was claimed to have been used to cater for police personnel assigned to provide security during the African Games. However, lawmakers expressed shock that no proper documents, including payment records, deployment sheets, receipts, or official authorisations, were immediately available to justify the expenditure.
Some members of the committee reportedly questioned how such a huge amount of public funds could be approved and disbursed without adequate records.
The issue also sparked public debate after details from the hearing circulated widely across media platforms, with critics demanding greater transparency and accountability in the management of state funds allocated for the African Games.
Calculations discussed during the hearing suggested that the GH¢35.8 million expenditure translates to nearly GH¢6,000 per officer for the period of deployment, a figure that further intensified scrutiny from the committee and the public.
The African Games, hosted by Ghana in March 2024, was one of the biggest sporting events ever organised by the country, attracting thousands of athletes and officials from across Africa. The government invested heavily in infrastructure, logistics, security, and accommodation ahead of the tournament.
Security was considered a major priority during the games, leading to the deployment of thousands of police and other security personnel across competition centres, athletes’ villages, hotels, and ceremonial venues.
Despite this, PAC members insist that every pesewa spent from the public purse must be properly accounted for in accordance with Ghana’s public financial management laws.
The committee has therefore directed the Ministry of Sports and Recreation to produce all relevant documents and evidence supporting the payment for further scrutiny.
Leave a Reply