By Benjamin Adamafio Commey, GNA
Accra, Aug. 27, GNA – The Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) has called on Parliament and the Auditor‑General to conduct a forensic investigation into flagged expenditures in the Ghana Gold Board’s (GoldBod) 2025 audited accounts.
The group said the expenditures raised concerns about fiscal prudence, public sector accountability and the administrative management of GoldBod
Addressing a news conference in Accra on Thursday, Dr Samuel Kwadwo Frimpong, a Leading Member of AFAG, said the organisation was concerned about several multi-million-cedi expenditure items that, in its view, lacked sufficient explanation.
He said GoldBod’s 2025 financial disclosures showed total expenditure of GH¢78,684,164.32, including significant allocations to task force deployment, entertainment and events, travelling and special intervention programmes.
Dr Frimpong said GH¢14,294,116.30 was spent on task force deployment, while GH¢3,982,096.03 went into entertainment and events.
Travelling costs amounted to GH¢3,385,495.53, while GH¢5,263,872.54 was recorded under special intervention programme expenses.
Dr Frimpong questioned the nature and justification of the expenditures, particularly the special intervention programme allocation, saying the descriptions provided raised more questions than answers.
“It is completely unacceptable for a public enterprise to spend millions of tax-backed funds on some line items which leave more questions than answers,” he said.
Dr Frimpong also raised concerns about GH¢8,576,847.78 recorded as legal and professional fees.
He alleged that substantial payments under the category were made to a law firm reportedly associated with GoldBod’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer.
GoldBod and the Deputy Chief Executive Officer have, however, denied those claims.
Dr Frimpong said the denials did not resolve what he described as broader governance questions surrounding the expenditure.
“These reports have since been denied by Gold Board and the deputy CEO. That notwithstanding, that line item raises critical corporate governance and practice questions,” he stressed.
Dr Frimpong demanded clarification on whether GoldBod had an adequately staffed legal department capable of handling the institution’s legal requirements.
He also requested details of the specific legal services provided to justify the expenditure, as well as the identities of the law firms or individuals who received the funds.
“In the interest of good governance, probity and public accountability, AFAG will roll out a multi-party exposure series,” he said.
Dr Frimpong said the group would examine GoldBod’s 2025 and 2026 audited accounts
alongside relevant International Monetary Fund policy reports.
He also called for direct intervention by the President to halt what the group described as further fiscal dissipation and to demand accountability from GoldBod’s leadership.
The objective, he said, was to ensure accountability during the current administration rather than waiting for a future government to investigate the institution’s financial activities.
Dr Frimpong urged the Auditor-General, Parliament and the President to act on the concerns, stressing that taxpayers deserved transparency and value for money from public institutions.
“The Ghanaian taxpayer cannot continue to fund opaque operations and extravagant lifestyles of career politicians,” he said.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
27 Aug. 2026
Reporter: Benjamin Adamafio Commey