The Secretariat of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) on Decentralisation has dismissed comments made by its former Executive Secretary, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, describing his recent remarks about an ongoing investigation into the institution’s finances as misleading and unsupported by the facts.
Mr. Aboagye, who was granted bail by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) on July 14, had challenged reports linking his arrest to an alleged GH¢55 million financial scandal. During an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosiisen on July 21, he maintained that investigators questioned him over transactions involving approximately GH¢9 million, an additional GH¢5,000 and a procurement matter valued at GH¢5.2 million, rather than the GH¢55 million figure widely circulated in the media.
In a statement issued on Monday, July 27, the IMCC Secretariat said the former Executive Secretary’s account distorted the findings of a forensic audit commissioned into the operations of the institution.
The Secretariat explained that the IMCC is a public service institution established under Section 207(3) of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), and is subject to the Public Financial Management Act, the Public Procurement Act and other laws governing public institutions.
According to the statement, a forensic audit conducted in 2025 found Mr. Aboagye and the institution’s Accountant jointly and personally liable for a number of financial irregularities, including the approval and facilitation of transactions that allegedly breached established financial and procurement regulations.
It noted that Mr. Aboagye was given the opportunity to respond to the audit findings before the report was finalised, after which the completed report was forwarded to EOCO for further investigations.
The Secretariat clarified that while it is not privy to the full scope of EOCO’s investigations, it understands that the forensic audit constitutes only one aspect of a broader inquiry. It added that it remains committed to cooperating fully with investigators by providing all relevant documents and information requested.
The IMCC also rejected Mr. Aboagye’s assertion that the current Executive Secretary instructed him to refrain from commenting on government matters or suggested that the NDC administration had directed officials to “find something” against him.
It described those claims as entirely false, insisting that no such directive or conversation ever took place.
Instead, the Secretariat alleged that on July 18, 2025, Mr. Aboagye, through one of his lawyers and a mutual acquaintance, requested a meeting with the current Executive Secretary at his lawyer’s office.
During that meeting, the statement alleged, Mr. Aboagye requested that portions of the forensic audit report be removed, including findings relating to two bank accounts, one of which allegedly recorded transactions amounting to GH¢102,256,802.69 but was omitted from the official handing-over notes.
The Secretariat further claimed that he also sought the removal of audit findings concerning PNY Investment Limited, BMABA Enterprise and GAPTE. However, it said the Executive Secretary declined to interfere with the report or alter its contents.
It also dismissed suggestions that the forensic audit was initiated to victimise Mr. Aboagye over a previous employment-related matter, stressing that the exercise formed part of routine governance and accountability measures applicable to public institutions.
According to the Secretariat, administrative, financial and operational audits are standard mechanisms designed to strengthen transparency and ensure prudent management of public resources, rather than tools for persecuting former office holders.
The statement further explained that following the implementation of the Local Governance Act, 2016, the Secretariat’s staff were integrated into the Office of the President and the Civil Service as part of reforms to strengthen Ghana’s decentralisation framework.
It said the integration process was completed by the end of 2025, with the Secretariat now receiving its budget allocation and reporting through the Office of the President.
Reaffirming its commitment to transparency, accountability and professionalism, the IMCC Secretariat said it would remain focused on its mandate and would not be distracted by what it described as unfounded allegations intended to undermine the institution.
The Secretariat also appealed to Mr. Aboagye and law enforcement agencies to facilitate the return of official documents, including previous handing-over notes referenced during his media interview, which it said are currently not in its possession.
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