HGP Nightly News – The theft of more than $50 million in public funds intended for pathway workers remains surrounded by unanswered questions, with the Auditor General revealing that investigators were unable to verify the status of the probe due to missing records.
According to the Auditor General’s 2024 Report, auditors were not provided with a police report or any documentation showing the progress of investigations into the disappearance of $50.831 million from the Region Six Democratic Council.
The money, which was being held for payment to pathway workers, was reportedly stolen in September 2023 from a secured cupboard inside the Regional Democratic Council’s offices.
Despite the significant loss of taxpayer funds, the report noted that no evidence was presented to auditors indicating the status of the criminal investigation or any official updates on efforts to recover the money.
The finding is among a series of financial management and accountability concerns highlighted in the Auditor General’s latest report.
The report also identified contract overpayments totaling more than $1.011 billion across 86 contracts administered by various government ministries and regional administrations. Additionally, auditors reported that 120 payment vouchers valued at $877.286 million were not presented for examination.
At the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), advances exceeding $216 million linked to pump station projects remained unrecovered, while the Ministry of Health disposed of more than $1.098 billion worth of expired pharmaceuticals.
The Auditor General further flagged a $55.296 million fraud involving Old Age Pension and Public Assistance coupons, procurement breaches at several state agencies, and the continued non-use of a water ambulance purchased for Region Five more than four years ago.
The disappearance of the $50.831 million earmarked for pathway workers is expected to attract renewed attention when parliamentary committees begin reviewing the Auditor General’s findings, particularly given the absence of documentation detailing the progress of the investigation into one of the more significant thefts of public funds highlighted in the report.
