Minority Raises Alarm Over GH¢1.4bn DACF Withdrawal by Finance Minister, Controller

The Minority caucus in Parliament has accused the Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, and the Controller and Accountant-General, Kwasi Aadjei, of unlawfully withdrawing GH¢1.4 billion from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) count at the Bank of Ghana (BoG) earlier this month.

Speaking to Journalists in Parliament on Thursday, November 13, Minority Chief Whip, Hon Frank Annoh-Dompreh described the action as a “blatant disregard for the Constitution,” urging President John Dramani Mahama to intervene and ensure that the funds are returned by Tuesday, November 18, 2025.

According to Mr. Annoh-Dompreh, the latest incident follows earlier deductions from the same account between February and April 2025, when about GH¢3.2 million and GH¢11.3 million were allegedly removed without proper authorization.

“After several complaints, they returned the GH¢3.2 million, but the GH¢11.3 million remains outstanding. As I speak, the DACF account at the Bank of Ghana has a zero balance,” he told reporters.

Timeline of the Alleged GH¢1.4bn Sweep

The Minority Chief Whip provided a detailed timeline of the alleged transactions, stating that, on November 4, 2025, the Controller and Accountant-General released the third-quarter allocation of DACF funds, which reflected in the DACF account, but on November 11, 2025, the account was blocked

Again, on November 12, 2025, the entire GH¢1.4 billion was allegedly “swept” from the account.

“This is unconstitutional. These are constitutional funds, not statutory ones, and they cannot be redirected at the discretion of the Minister or the Controller,” Mr. Annoh-Dompreh stressed.

The Minority referenced a Supreme Court ruling which affirmed that DACF payments are constitutional obligations and cannot be subjected to ministerial interference or redirection.

Hon Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Minority Chief Whip

“Once Parliament approves the formula for the distribution of the Common Fund, neither the Finance Minister nor the Controller has the authority to block or sweep those funds,” Mr. Annoh-Dompreh argued.

He further warned that the alleged diversion could have serious international repercussions, as the DACF account also receives inflows from Switzerland Economic Cooperation and KfW German Cooperation grants meant for specific local development projects.

“The Controller, in concert with the Finance Ministry, cannot just block or sweep funds from accounts that hold international grants. Such actions risk undermining Ghana’s credibility and could lead to the withdrawal of future support,” he cautioned.

Mr. Annoh-Dompreh said the Minority intends to raise the matter formally on the floor of Parliament under Order 93(1) as a “matter of urgent public importance.”

He also revealed that while the Controller has allegedly promised to return the funds by Monday, the Minority insists the withdrawal itself was “an illegality” that demands accountability.

“It’s not about whether they return the money. The fact remains that they had no right to take it in the first place. This is a violation of the Constitution and an insult to the intelligence of the Ghanaian people,” he stated.

The Minority therefore called on the President to ensure immediate restitution of the funds, disciplinary action against the officials involved, and a commitment to uphold constitutional provisions governing the District Assemblies Common Fund.

“We must bring sanity back to public financial management,” Mr. Annoh-Dompreh said. “