President John Dramani Mahama has instructed the Attorney-General to initiate a forensic audit of the controversial National Cathedral Project, following allegations of significant financial mismanagement.
The directive, announced Friday by Minister for Government Communication Felix Kwakye Ofosu, comes in response to troubling findings from a recent Deloitte audit. That report flagged substantial financial irregularities tied to the project’s execution and raised new questions about oversight at the Secretariat overseeing the development.
“Despite the damning findings in the Deloitte audit, it does not cover the full scope of operations of the National Cathedral Secretariat and the project itself,” Mr. Kwakye Ofosu said at a press briefing in Accra. “The Auditor-General has therefore been requested to commission a forensic audit into the project and Secretariat activities.”
The National Cathedral was conceived as a national religious and cultural monument, featuring a Bible Museum, banquet hall, Biblical Garden, and conference facilities. However, the $400 million state-backed initiative has drawn scrutiny over unexplained payments, procurement breaches, and cost escalations.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Dr. Dominic Ayine is also pursuing legal avenues to terminate contracts linked to the project “to prevent further costs and losses to the state,” Mr.Ofosu said. He added that the government will take “decisive action” once the audit is completed, including potential legal proceedings against any parties found culpable.
The Secretariat responsible for managing the project was dissolved in May, and the Board of Trustees is expected to be disbanded. The audit represents a turning point in public accountability efforts, as the Mahama administration signals a tougher stance on financial oversight.
