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The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Upper Manya Krobo District Assembly in the Eastern Region, Hon Emmanuel Kwesi Lawer, locked three staff in his office over an alleged embezzlement of GH¢67,900, before handing them over to the police.
Barely two months into office, the DCE also a long-serving assembly member—uncovered financial discrepancies in the Assembly’s Internally Generated Funds (IGF).
An internal audit and investigation later revealed that the District Finance Officer (DFO), Accounts Officer, and Revenue Superintendent had allegedly misappropriated funds from last year through early 2025.
The DCE invites these three officers to his office on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, for questioning. During the meeting, he demanded the submission of three General Counterfoil Receipt (GCR) booklets suspected to be tied to the missing money.
The DFO refused to comply, the DCE reportedly locked them in his offices and called in the police.
This bold intervention led to the immediate recovery of GH¢67,900. The breakdown is as follows.
The Revenue Superintendent refunded GH¢5,800, the Accounts Officer returned GH¢27,600, and the DFO, under police escort, withdrew GH¢34,500 from his personal account in Koforidua the next day to complete the reimbursement.
The recovered amount has since been paid into the Assembly’s main account.
The police are still conducting investigations into the matter.
The DCE Emmanuel Kwasi Lawer reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
He pledged zero tolerance for corruption and announced plans for a comprehensive audit to uncover and recover any further losses.
Prod Sobibor: Mid-year Budget Review: Finance Minister Outlines Bold Strategy to Tame Inflation and Stabilize Economy
In a decisive move to curb persistent inflation and restore macroeconomic stability, The Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, has unveiled a multifaceted policy blueprint anchored in aggressive fiscal discipline, targeted monetary interventions, and strategic sectoral reforms.
The Minister pledged an unwavering commitment to an accelerated fiscal consolidation agenda aimed at substantially narrowing the budget deficit, reducing public sector borrowing, and restoring investor confidence. This initiative, he emphasized, will serve as the cornerstone for mitigating inflationary pressures and restoring stability in Ghana’s economic fundamentals.
“Our objective is to recalibrate fiscal policy and pursue a stringent expenditure rationalization programme to significantly reduce the fiscal deficit and curb excessive government borrowing,” he stated.
In a bid to address exchange rate volatility, which has exacerbated the cost of imported goods and services such as fuel, rice, sugar, and cooking oil, Dr. Forson affirmed that the government will implement robust foreign exchange stabilization measures to arrest currency depreciation and ease inflationary transmission.
Furthermore, he highlighted plans to deploy policy tools that target high weight items in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket, particularly transportation and utilities. Through pragmatic regulatory interventions and structural adjustments, the government aims to ease the cost of living by reducing the prices of these essential services.
He also announced that the Bank of Ghana will be supported in its quest to adopt a prudent monetary policy posture. This will include strategic liquidity management operations intended to bolster the ongoing disinflationary process without compromising growth.
“In collaboration with the central bank, we will ensure that monetary policy remains aligned with our inflation-targeting framework while reinforcing market confidence,” he remarked.
To combat food inflation, a key driver of headline inflation, Dr. Forson introduced the “Agriculture for Economic Transformation” agenda. This comprehensive agricultural modernization initiative is expected to enhance domestic food production, strengthen agro-value chains, and reduce the economy’s reliance on food imports.
In conclusion, Dr. Forson reiterated the administration’s steadfast resolve to restore price stability and revitalize economic resilience. “We are determined to implement these holistic reforms to bring relief to Ghanaians and build a stronger, more stable economy,” he affirmed.