Minister of Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has disagreed with the Auditor-General’s office over the handling of money owed to former inmates of the Ghana Prisons Service, insisting that beneficiaries must receive the earnings they accumulated while in prison.
The disagreement emerged during a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sitting on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, when the Prisons Service responded to audit findings concerning inmates engaged in paid labour under an arrangement with Zoomlion Ghana Limited.
The audit revealed that inmates were paid GH¢3 less per day than the approved rate under the memorandum of understanding (MoU). It also identified GH¢277,625 earmarked for inmate motivation that was not paid to the intended beneficiaries.
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According to the auditors, the motivation funds were spent on funeral donations, sachet water, tuna, bathroom repairs and other expenses unrelated to inmate training, counselling and reintegration.
Responding to the findings, Mr Muntaka said the amounts deducted without proper documentation had been refunded. However, he raised concerns about outstanding earnings belonging to former prisoners that had been transferred into the Auditor-General’s recovery account.
He explained that Zoomlion paid for services after they had been rendered, meaning some inmates left prison before the company settled payments due to the Prisons Service.
Some former prisoners subsequently returned to claim their earnings after learning that the outstanding payments had been received.
“These are monies they have earned,” Mr Muntaka told the committee, arguing that the Prisons Service and the Auditor-General’s office should work together to ensure the beneficiaries received their money.
According to him, he had contacted the Auditor-General over the matter and proposed that the funds be returned to the Prisons Service for payment to eligible former inmates.
Alternatively, he suggested that the Prisons Service could provide a list of the beneficiaries and direct them to the Auditor-General’s office to collect their entitlements.
However, the auditors defended the decision to transfer the funds into the recovery account, saying prison officials had reported difficulties contacting former inmates.
The auditors said officials had attempted to reach beneficiaries using telephone numbers provided to them but were unsuccessful. They also cited human rights concerns about sharing the inmates’ contact details with the audit team.
The audit team maintained that its recommendation required inmates still in custody to be paid before any remaining balance is transferred into the recovery account.
The committee stressed the need for proper documentation and clear procedures to ensure beneficiaries received their earnings while public funds remained adequately accounted for.
Mr Muntaka said his ministry would work with the auditors to resolve the dispute, acknowledging that better coordination and documentation are necessary to prevent similar problems.
He also called for greater investment in rehabilitation programmes to equip prisoners with practical skills and income-generating opportunities that could support their reintegration into society after release.