African Games 2023: Former Sports Minister and LOC Chairman ordered by Auditor-General to refund GHC 579m

The Auditor-General has recommended recovery of GHC 579 million from three top former officials at the heart of Ghana’s organisation of the 13th Africa Games.

A forensic audit which was commissioned by President Mahama last year revealed widespread cost inflation, irregular payments, and unsupported expenditure across contracts linked to the event.

Though the Auditor-General did make any criminal findings, it recommended that former Minister of and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, former Chief Director, William Kartey, and former Local Organising Committee (LOC) Chairman, Dr. Kwaku Ofosu-Asare be made to refund the money to the state.

In one instance, the Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Prof. Amin Alhassan, is also named in relation to a training contract.

Across all flagged transactions, auditors have recommended the recovery of an estimated GHC 579,114,352.24, alongside $44,354,881.77 and €629,070, citing overpricing, unjustified payments, undelivered goods, and contractual variances.

The findings cut across catering, accommodation, transport, equipment procurement, infrastructure, and administrative spending, painting a picture of systemic cost inflation during Ghana’s hosting of the continental multi-sport event.

In virtually every flagged transaction, auditors repeatedly recommend recovery from the same three key figures:

• Mustapha Ussif (former Minister of Youth and Sports)
• William Kartey (former Chief Director)
• Dr. Kwaku Ofosu-Asare (former LOC Chairman)

Their names appear in connection with all major cost centres, including catering, logistics, accommodation, equipment procurement, vehicle hiring, branding, infrastructure works, and sponsorship management.

In one case involving broadcast training, Prof. Amin Alhassan is also cited alongside the trio.

Breakdown of irregularities as cited by the Auditor-General:

Catering irregularities – US$2.83 million and GHC 33.9 million

Auditors flagged $2,826,540 (GHC33,918,480) in non-feeding costs embedded within a catering contract, including transport, utilities, staffing, infrastructure, and administration—without supporting documentation or justification.

Anti-doping overpricing – €572,040 and GHC 8.01 million

A contract for anti-doping tests was found to be significantly above benchmark WADA laboratory rates, creating an overpricing gap of €572,040 (GHC 8,008,560).

Accommodation inflation – $840,000 and GHC10.08 million

Hotel rooms were reportedly charged at $150 per night, despite market rates ranging between $50 and $70, resulting in an inflated component of $840,000 (GHC10,080,000).

Sports equipment overpricing – $322,697 and GHC 3.87 million

Boxing, triathlon, hockey, and arm wrestling equipment contracts exceeded benchmark prices, with total variance estimated at $322,697.28 (GHC3,872,367.36).

Transport and logistics – over GHC30 million flagged in multiple layers

Vehicle-related contracts form one of the largest clusters of irregularities:

• Branding and de-branding: GHC2,003,121.75
• Vehicle hiring overpricing: GHC13,120,226.21
• Over-invoicing adjustment: GHC2,201,514.00
• Excess rental charges: GHC239,520.00

Together, these reflect a broader pattern of inflated logistics expenditure under JDK Travel & Tours contracts.

Undelivered and unaccounted equipment – $374,462 and GHC4.49 million

Auditors also flagged payments for sports equipment that were either not delivered or lacked specification, resulting in an overpayment of $374,462.39 (GHC4,493,548.68).

Unrelated LOC payments – GHC15.09 million

A further GHC15,093,666 was identified as unrelated to the Games, including payments routed to Black Stars technical staff and other non-Games activities.

Infrastructure defects – GHC12 million

Construction defects across key venues, including the Aquatic Centre and Legon Stadium, are estimated to require at least GHC12 million in rectification works.

Major EPC contract irregularities – $38.99 million and GHC467.89 million

The most significant anomaly relates to engineering and construction contracts for the Borteyman Sports Complex, University of Ghana Stadium, and Legon Sports Village.

Auditors flagged:

• Unjustified variations
• Inflated claims
• Scope reductions and additions outside contract discipline

Total irregular claims in this category stand at $38,991,182.10 (GHC467,894,185.20).

Inflated works contracts – GHC5.40 million

Three single-source infrastructure contracts were found to be overpriced due to lack of proper price-reasonableness assessments.

The grand picture: a financial trail under scrutiny

When aggregated, the audit’s recovery recommendations point to the following totals:

• GHC579,114,352.24
• $44,354,881.77
• € 629,070

These figures represent what auditors describe as unjustified expenditure, overpricing, undelivered goods, and contractual deviations across the entire Games delivery chain.

المصدر: MyJoyOnline (GH)