Minority accuses Finance Minister of influencing DACF allocations

The Parliamentary Minority has accused the Finance Minister and Controller and Accountant General of unlawfully withdrawing ₵1.4 billion from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Minority Chief Whip and MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, said the money was initially paid into the DACF account on November 4 but was later blocked on November 11 and swept from the account on November 12.

He described the development as unconstitutional, citing a Supreme Court ruling in the “Kpodo case,” which held that payments into the Common Fund are constitutionally protected and cannot be redirected or reassigned by the Finance Ministry or Controller.

“Once these payments are made, the Minister of Finance and the Controller cannot direct, redirect, or reassign them,” Annoh-Dompreh said. “It is clear that the Finance Minister, in connivance with the Controller, is micromanaging the funds of the Common Fund, which is totally against the Constitution.”

He said this was not the first time such interference had occurred, recalling that “they blocked ₵3.3 million and ₵11 million earlier. After several complaints, they returned ₵3 million, but the ₵11 million is still outstanding.”

The MP claimed the recent ₵1.4 billion withdrawal was done contrary to earlier assurances from the Finance Ministry and described it as “deception of the highest order.”

Mr. Annoh-Dompreh warned that such actions undermine fiscal transparency and the independence of local government financing.

“There are implications to this. They are now redirecting these funds wherever they please, which violates the Constitution,” he said.

He urged President John Dramani Mahama to intervene and ensure the recovery of the withdrawn funds before Tuesday.

The Minister of Finance and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department have yet to respond to the allegations.