Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has revealed that a highly disturbing audit report exposing billions of Cedis in suspicious payment claims will be made public next week.

The minister, who spoke on  Accra-based Joy FM after presenting the 2026 Budget to Parliament on Thursday, said the findings are so severe they could easily distract from the government’s economic policy measures.

“The report will be published next week. It will blow your mind. Let me tell you, it is damning — in fact, troubling,” he said.

Dr. Forson disclosed that the audit team has already flagged GHS10 billion worth of claims as unacceptable, describing them as recycled liabilities that should never be paid.

He said investigators also uncovered a disturbing pattern of recycled Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs), falsified store receipts, and completely fictitious claims that had been prepared and submitted for payment.

The Minister recounted that he immediately froze all outstanding payments on assuming office, including those already at advanced stages within the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department and the Bank of Ghana.

“Some of them felt that as for that one, it’s been processed and it’s legitimate.

I said, stop it. My instinct told me, stop it — let’s subject it to audit.”

That instinct proved crucial.

According to him, the halted payments amounted to GHS13 billion. After scrutiny, the Auditor-General validated GHS12 billion as legitimate but flagged GHS1 billion as entirely fabricated.

“Somebody just concocted them,” he emphasised.

Dr. Forson described how close the state came to paying out these dubious claims.

He said the invoices and certificates involved had already passed through the full chain of authorisation and were awaiting final disbursement.

“If not for that audit, Ghana would have lost that one,” he said.

The Minister indicated that the audit report will expose all individuals and companies behind the fraudulent claims.

“The names are there. They will publish not only their names but the companies and all those behind it.”

Dr. Forson said he intentionally allowed the budget presentation to proceed without referencing the audit because he did not want the revelations to overshadow the “excellent policies” in the 2026 Budget.

He confirmed that once the Auditor-General releases the full document next week, the Attorney-General will take over for further action.