The Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) on Decentralisation Secretariat has firmly rejected allegations made by its former Executive Secretary, Mr. Dennis Edward, describing his recent public comments on Asempa FM on July 21, as inaccurate, unsubstantiated and misleading while defending the integrity of an audit that has since been referred to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
In a statement issued on Monday, July 27, 2026, the Secretariat said it was compelled to respond to comments Mr. Aboagye made during a radio interview on Asempa FM on July 21. Stating he was questioned by investigators over transactions involving about GHC 9 million, another 5,000 Ghana Cedis and 5.2 Million Cedis worth procurement issues other than the widely speculated 55 million. The Secretariat insisted that the issues he raised misrepresented both the audit process and the institution’s operations. According to the Secretariat, a forensic audit conducted in 2025 found Mr. Aboagye and the institution’s accountant personally and jointly culpable for identified irregularities, including authorizing or facilitating non-compliant transactions. It stressed that Mr. Aboagye was given the opportunity to respond to the audit findings before the report was finalized.
The statement disclosed that the completed audit report has since been submitted to EOCO for further action. While noting that it is not privy to the full scope of the ongoing investigation, the Secretariat said it understands the audit forms part of a broader inquiry and pledged to continue providing documents and information requested by investigators. The Secretariat also dismissed claims by the former Executive Secretary that he had been instructed to stop commenting on government matters or that the current administration had sought to pressure him into concealing information. “For clarity, no such directive or instruction was issued. At no point was such alleged disclosure made,” the statement said.
Providing its own account of events, the Secretariat revealed that Mr. Aboagye, through one of his lawyers and a mutual acquaintance, invited the current Executive Secretary to a meeting at the lawyer’s office on July 18, 2025. According to the Secretariat, Mr. Aboagye requested that aspects of the audit findings be dropped, including findings relating to two bank accounts. It alleged that one of those accounts contained transactions amounting to GH¢102,256,802.69, which had not been disclosed in the official handing-over notes.
It further stated that the request also involved matters concerning PNY Investment Limited, BMABA Enterprise and GAPTE. The Executive Secretary, the statement said, declined all the requests. The Secretariat equally rejected Mr. Aboagye’s assertion that the audit was motivated by personal vendetta arising from the termination of his appointment. It maintained that administrative, financial and operational audits are routine governance mechanisms intended to promote accountability and institutional efficiency, stressing that no former official was being victimised. “The allegations of persecution are false, unfounded and misleading,” the statement added.
Addressing concerns over its institutional status, the Secretariat clarified that following the implementation of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), measures were taken to mainstream its staff into the Office of the President and the Civil Service to strengthen Ghana’s decentralisation framework. It explained that by the end of 2025, the Secretariat had been fully integrated into the Office of the President, from where it now receives its budgetary allocations and to which it formally reports.
The Secretariat Reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability and professionalism, stating that it would continue executing its statutory mandate without being distracted by what it described as baseless allegations intended to undermine the institution and its leadership. The Secretariat through this statement further an appealed to Mr. Aboagye and the relevant law enforcement agencies to facilitate the return of official documents, including past handing-over notes referenced during his media appearance but which, according to the Secretariat, are currently not in its possession.
Author: Joyce Owusu
