Forensic Audit of National Cathedral Critical to Accountability
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, says the ongoing forensic audit into the National Cathedral project is crucial to establishing full accountability and determining how public funds were utilised.
Speaking on a media interview, he explained that previous audits had already unearthed serious concerns regarding the management of the multi-million-dollar project. According to him, those initial findings created the basis for a deeper probe.
“A few months ago, I held a press conference at a time when the National Cathedral Secretariat itself had commissioned an audit. That audit revealed very worrying patterns, procurement breaches, misapplication of funds, and several infractions that raised significant red flags,” he said.
Kwakye Ofosu stated that the seriousness of those revelations prompted the Auditor-General, working in collaboration with the Attorney-General, to initiate a full forensic audit. That process, he stressed, is currently underway and is expected to provide a comprehensive picture of how public monies connected to the project were handled. “Once the forensic audit is completed, we will know exactly what was done, by whom, and where the breaches occurred,” he added, emphasising the government’s commitment to ensuring transparency.
He also reiterated his long-standing criticism of the decision to prioritise the National Cathedral at a time when the country was grappling with severe economic hardship. He argued that while Ghanaians were dealing with financial distress, the former administration chose to focus on an expensive cathedral project rather than alleviating the economic burden on citizens.
“I still maintain that it was an absolute misplaced priority. At the height of economic difficulty, when Ghanaians were struggling and his government had imposed excruciating haircuts on about 1.3 million bondholders despite earlier assurances, the president at the time said his biggest priority was building a cathedral,” he stated.
Kwakye Ofosu insisted that the forensic audit will be key to restoring public trust and ensuring that every cedi spent is accounted for.
