The Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) on Decentralisation Secretariat has rejected comments by its former Executive Secretary, Mr Dennis Miracles Aboagye, describing remarks he made on Asempa FM’s Ekosiisen programme as inaccurate and unsubstantiated.
A statement issued by the Secretariat on Monday said Mr Aboagye’s comments on the July 21, 2026 edition of the programme misrepresented the circumstances surrounding a forensic audit conducted into the institution’s operations.
Mr Aboagye, who was granted bail by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) on July 14, had disputed reports linking his arrest to an alleged GH¢55 million financial irregularity.
According to him, investigators questioned him over transactions involving about GH¢9 million, another GH¢5,000 and a procurement matter valued at GH¢5.2 million, rather than the GH¢55 million widely reported.
The Secretariat, however, said the IMCC was a public service institution established under Section 207(3) of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), and operated under the Public Financial Management Act, the Public Procurement Act and other laws governing public institutions.
It said 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 authorising or facilitating non-compliant transactions.
The statement said Mr Aboagye was given the opportunity to respond to the audit findings before the report was finalised, after which the completed report was submitted to EOCO for further investigations.
The Secretariat said although it was not aware of the full scope of EOCO’s investigations, it understood that the forensic audit formed part of a broader inquiry and pledged its continued cooperation with investigators by providing all requested documents and information.
The statement also rejected Mr Aboagye’s claim that the current Executive Secretary instructed him to refrain from commenting on government matters or suggested that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration had directed officials to “find something” against him.
It maintained that no such directive or conversation took place.
The Secretariat further alleged that on July 18, 2025, Mr Aboagye, through one of his lawyers and a mutual acquaintance, requested a meeting with the Executive Secretary at his lawyer’s office.
According to the statement, 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 not disclosed in the official handing-over notes.
It also alleged that he sought the removal of findings relating to PNY Investment Limited, BMABA Enterprise and GAPTE, but said the Executive Secretary declined to interfere with the audit report.
The Secretariat dismissed allegations that the audit was intended to victimise Mr Aboagye over a previous employment-related matter, describing the claims as false and misleading.
It said administrative, financial and operational audits were routine governance measures aimed at strengthening accountability and were not conducted to persecute former public officials.
The statement explained that following the passage of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), 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.
