Ghana’s Auditing Firms Are More Than Corrupt – Solomon Owusu

Solomon Owusu, a prominent member of Ghana’s Movement for Change political party, has alleged that nearly all auditing firms in Ghana are corrupt. He made this claim during an interview on the Angel FM, linking his accusation to recent reports of corruption involving Ghana’s embassy in the United States.

Owusu inquired as to the whereabout of the auditors who are meant to examine these establishments. He gave various examples of how these auditors steal money from businesses in order to continuously cover up unethical practices, especially in Ghana.

He stated that he finds it incomprehensible that this significant issue in Washington, DC, was not adequately audited.

While the full details about the corruption at Ghana’s U.S. embassy were not provided, historical incidents highlight vulnerabilities in the country’s institutional oversight.

For instance, a fake U.S. embassy operated in Accra for about a decade, issuing counterfeit and fraudulently obtained visas. This operation was facilitated by bribing corrupt officials to overlook the illicit activities .

The Ghana Audit Service, established under the 1992 Constitution, is tasked with auditing government accounts and ensuring accountability within public institutions . However, concerns about the effectiveness and independence of auditing bodies have been raised.

The GACC has advocated for the independence of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA), emphasizing that a lack of autonomy hampers efforts to combat corruption.

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Furthermore, reports indicate significant financial irregularities within public institutions. From 2015 to 2020, the Auditor-General recorded a total of GHS13.9 billion in financial irregularities across various sectors, including procurement, cash management, and payroll.

GACC continue to push for reforms to strengthen anti-corruption measures and ensure transparency within auditing processes.

Solomon Owusu’s allegations underscore the persistent concerns regarding corruption in Ghana’s auditing sector and the need for comprehensive reforms to restore public trust and ensure accountability.