The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has commenced an examination into suspected corruption and related offences arising from the government’s expenditure of approximately GH¢49.7 million on the evacuation of Ghanaian nationals from South Africa.
In a statement released on Monday, November 9, 2026, the anti corruption institution disclosed that its examination was centred on apparent inconsistencies between the expenditure declared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the corresponding payment records associated with the humanitarian operation.
The evacuation exercise, which was conducted between May 27 and September 4, 2026, facilitated the return of 1,964 Ghanaian citizens following xenophobic attacks and growing threats against foreign nationals in South Africa.
According to the OSP, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported an expenditure of GH¢49,721,786 to finance the operation, covering several logistical and welfare arrangements for the returning citizens.
These expenses reportedly included chartered aircraft, commercial airline tickets, ground transportation, accommodation, meals, medical assistance and reintegration allowances provided to beneficiaries.
However, the Special Prosecutor’s Office indicated that its preliminary examination had identified concerns requiring further scrutiny, particularly discrepancies in the financial documentation and records relating to payments made during the exercise.
Among the issues under examination are suspected duplicate entries, insufficient supporting documentation and payment records attributed to beneficiaries who have reportedly disputed receiving the amounts recorded against their names.
The OSP explained that the exercise was intended to establish whether the public funds allocated to the evacuation were properly accounted for, whether the recorded payments reached their legitimate recipients and whether any public official or private individual improperly benefited from the expenditure.
The investigation will therefore seek to reconcile the Ministry’s declared expenditure with the actual financial transactions, establish the identities of the individuals and entities that received the payments and determine whether any criminal conduct occurred in the administration of the funds.
Importantly, the anti corruption office clarified that its examination was not directed at questioning the government’s decision to bring stranded and threatened Ghanaian nationals back home.
Rather, its focus is on the financial administration of the humanitarian intervention and whether the substantial public resources committed to the exercise were managed transparently and in accordance with the applicable financial and legal requirements.
The OSP further indicated that additional information would be communicated to the public when circumstances warranted such disclosure.
It also reminded the public that individuals who may be connected to the matters under examination remain presumed innocent unless their guilt is established through the appropriate legal processes.
The development places the financial management of the GH¢49.7 million evacuation programme under increased scrutiny, with the outcome of the OSP’s examination expected to clarify whether the reported discrepancies arose from administrative shortcomings, accounting errors or potentially criminal activities.
