GH₵579m African Games Audit: Mustapha Ussif denies any wrongdoing

• Mustapha Ussif denies allegations in the 13th African Games audit report.

• The auditor-general recommended the recovery of GH₵579 million from three former officials.

• The audit uncovered alleged cost inflation and irregular spending linked to the Games.

Former minister Mustapha Ussif has rejected allegations of wrongdoing following the release of the forensic audit report into the 13th African Games hosted in Accra in 2023.

In a press statement issued on May 26, 2026, the former Minister of Youth and Sports said he had taken notice of the audit findings but denied any involvement in the alleged irregularities highlighted in the report.

“My attention has been drawn to the release of an audit report, which report is titled Comprehensive Audit Report on the 13th African Games, Accra 2023. The said report, I understand, attributes various irregularities to me. I, however, deny being responsible for any such irregularities, if any at all,” he stated.

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Mr. Ussif, alongside former Chief Director William Kartey and former Local Organizing Committee Chairman Dr. Kwaku Ofosu-Asare, was cited in the audit report for possible sanctions and recovery measures under Section 92 of Ghana’s Public Procurement Act.

The forensic audit, commissioned by John Dramani Mahama last year, uncovered alleged cost inflation, irregular payments, and unsupported expenditures linked to contracts awarded for the Games.

Although the Auditor-General of Ghana did not make any criminal findings, the report recommended the recovery of GH₵579 million from the three former officials connected to Ghana’s organization of the continental sporting event.

Mr. Ussif has, however, maintained that he expects to respond fully to the allegations once the report is formally presented before Parliament.

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“It is my understanding that the report of the audit will be presented to Parliament, and persons who may have answers to findings will be invited to respond accordingly. Therefore, I look forward to the opportunity to respond to all the claims of impropriety in the said report,” he added.

The 700-page audit report was submitted to Parliament on February 26, 2026, and examined the management and expenditure of public funds allocated for the 13th African Games.

Ghana hosted the African Games for the first time, with financing secured through a US$170 million loan approved by Parliament, alongside infrastructure contracts exceeding US$145 million.

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According to the findings, total expenditure on the Games reached GH₵2.245 billion, while outstanding liabilities of more than GH₵208 million remained at the time of the audit.

The report has since sparked widespread public debate over accountability and transparency in the management of state funds used for major sporting events in Ghana.