The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is examining how the government spent GH¢49.7 million on evacuating Ghanaians from South Africa following reports of discrepancies in the financial records for the exercise.
The investigation is expected to establish whether the funds reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were properly accounted for and reached the intended beneficiaries.
In a statement issued on Monday, November 9, 2026, the OSP said it was examining alleged differences between the Ministry’s reported expenditure and the payment records for the evacuation.
The exercise, conducted between May 27 and September 4, 2026, brought 1,964 Ghanaian nationals home following xenophobic attacks and threats against foreign nationals in South Africa.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported spending GH¢49,721,786 on the operation, which covered chartered flights, commercial air tickets, transportation, accommodation, feeding, medical services and reintegration allowances.
However, the OSP said its examination had identified concerns involving duplicate entries, inadequate supporting documents and payments recorded against some beneficiaries who claim they did not receive the amounts listed.
The Office said it was seeking to establish the actual recipients of the payments and determine whether any public officer or private individual improperly benefited from the expenditure.
It stressed that the examination was focused on the management of public funds and did not question the government’s decision to evacuate Ghanaians as a humanitarian response.
The OSP said it would release further information where appropriate, adding that all persons concerned are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
