Three Ghanaians at Ghana’s Mission in New York, US, have been suspended for misappropriating funds. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the actions of the officers have caused a revenue loss of over two thousand dollars to the Consulate. Throwing more light on the matter, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, sector minister said the officials were cited for fraudulent behaviour by a four-man disciplinary committee.
“The three officers were also made to refund the misappropriated funds and they did not receive salaries for the period of their suspension. This decision was also based on the fact that the evidence was circumstantial in nature,” she said. This is not the first time Ghanaian diplomats have been involved in mismanagement of funds. The Auditor-General’s report over the years has reported of instances where officials at the embassies and consulates have embezzled monies. For example, the AG report reveals that an Accounting Officer in Ghana’s mission in Angola embezzled €64,655.00 and US$87,534.00
The audit report also revealed that Ghana lost an equivalent to GH¢531,616.75 allegedly embezzled by a former Accounting Officer of the country’s mission in Luanda, Angola.
