OSP and Audit Service strengthen cooperation to promote accountability
Story by: Regina Bless
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the Ghana Audit Service have held discussions on strengthening collaboration in the use of audit findings to promote accountability, protect public resources and combat corruption.
The engagement took place when the Auditor-General, Dr. Pamela Graham, led a delegation from the Ghana Audit Service to meet the Special Prosecutor, Mr. Kissi Agyebeng.
The two institutions explored areas where their respective mandates and expertise could complement each other, particularly in ensuring that concerns arising from the management and use of public funds receive appropriate institutional attention.
Mr. Agyebeng described the relationship between the mandates of the OSP and the Audit Service as closely connected, saying the two institutions were “tied at the hip” in carrying out their responsibilities.
He noted the institutional links between the two bodies, including the representation of the Ghana Audit Service on the previous OSP Board.
The Special Prosecutor said both institutions must hold each other to account while operating within their respective mandates and in the public interest. He stressed that cooperation among institutions with complementary responsibilities was essential to strengthening Ghana’s accountability framework.
Audit Recommendation Tracker
Dr. Graham reiterated the mandate of the Ghana Audit Service and emphasised the importance of working with the OSP to safeguard public funds.
She also highlighted the Audit Recommendation Tracker, an initiative being developed by the Audit Service and scheduled for launch in October.
The tracker is expected to enable the Audit Service and the public to monitor how public institutions implement audit recommendations and assess whether concerns identified through audits have been addressed.
According to Dr. Graham, making the tracker publicly accessible through the Audit Service’s website would provide greater visibility into the implementation of audit recommendations and help ensure that audit findings result in corrective action.
The initiative is also expected to provide an additional source of information for public institutions and other accountability bodies in carrying out their respective responsibilities.
The meeting ended with both institutions reaffirming their commitment to strengthening cooperation, within their respective mandates, to promote accountability, combat corruption and protect Ghana’s public resources.
Dr. Graham was accompanied by Deputy Auditor-Generals and other officials from the Ghana Audit Service, including Mrs. Roberta Asiamah Appiah, Mr. George Swanzy Winful, Madam Eugenia Shorme Nortey and Mr. Samuel Frimpong Manso.