The Chairman of the Accra 2023 African Games Local Organising Committee, Dr Kwaku Ofosu Asare, has told Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee that the Ghana Police Service was unable to adequately justify a GH¢35.8 million bill submitted for security services during the continental sporting event.
Appearing before the Committee on Monday, Dr. Ofosu Asare stated that the police were initially engaged to provide security support throughout the Games, and at the early stages of the event, the organisers even catered for their feeding arrangements as part of logistical support.
However, he explained that the police later withdrew from their initial arrangements before the conclusion of the tournament, only to subsequently present a substantial financial claim after the event ended.
According to him, the sudden submission of the GH¢35.8 million bill came as a shock, prompting him to formally request a detailed breakdown and justification to support the claim.
He told the Committee that despite repeated requests for clarification, the police were unable to provide satisfactory documentation or justification to validate the full amount being demanded.
Dr. Ofosu Asare indicated that the security services were originally expected to cover a period of about three weeks, spanning the official duration of the Games, which ran from 8 March to 23 March 2024.
He further noted that although the police withdrew their active participation before the end of the tournament, the full bill submitted appeared to cover the entire operational period.
Preliminary checks referenced during the Committee hearing suggest that the total claim submitted by the police exceeded GH¢37 million, although only about GH¢2 million of the amount has been validated, with the remainder yet to be justified for payment.
The matter continues to form part of ongoing parliamentary scrutiny into expenditure and accountability issues related to the hosting of the 2023 African Games.
