The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has commenced a probe into alleged corruption and corruption-related offences surrounding the government’s expenditure of GH¢49.7 million on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.
The investigation centres on suspected discrepancies between expenditure reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and payment records relating to the humanitarian exercise.
In a statement published on Monday, November 9, 2026, the OSP said it is examining concerns over how public funds allocated for the evacuation were accounted for and disbursed.
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The evacuation exercise, which took place between May 27 and September 4, 2026, involved 1,964 Ghanaian nationals who were brought 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.
The expenditure covered chartered flights, commercial airline tickets, transportation, accommodation, feeding, medical services and reintegration allowances for the returnees.
However, the anti-corruption agency said its examination has identified issues requiring further scrutiny, including duplicate entries, inadequate supporting documentation and payments recorded against beneficiaries who claim they did not receive the amounts indicated.
The OSP is seeking to establish whether the reported expenditure was properly accounted for, identify the actual recipients of the payments and determine whether any public officer or private individual improperly benefited from the funds.
The examination is expected to scrutinise the payment records and supporting documents to establish whether the reported expenditure corresponds with the actual services delivered and payments received by beneficiaries.
The Special Prosecutor’s Office, however, clarified that its investigation does not question the government’s decision to evacuate Ghanaian nationals as a humanitarian intervention.
Rather, its focus is on the management of public funds and whether the expenditure was properly authorised, documented and disbursed.
The latest development places the GH¢49.7 million evacuation expenditure under anti-corruption scrutiny, particularly over questions surrounding financial accountability and the management of public resources.
The OSP has indicated that further information will be disclosed where appropriate as the examination progresses.
It also reminded the public that all persons concerned are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.