The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested the names and contact details of Ghanaian evacuees whose accounts formed the basis of allegations of discrepancies in the payment of reintegration and transportation allowances following their evacuation from South Africa.
In a letter dated October 26, 2026, and addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Multimedia Group, the Ministry asked JoyNews to provide particulars of the evacuees cited by its Head of Research, Isaac Kofi Agyei, during Joy FM’s Newsfile programme on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
The request follows allegations that some evacuees did not receive the full allowances announced by the government, raising questions about the disbursement process.
According to the Ministry, Mr Agyei stated during the programme that three Ghanaian evacuees had received only GH¢2,000 instead of the announced total of GH¢5,500, comprising reintegration and transportation allowances.
The Ministry also cited claims that approximately 40 evacuees had received the GH¢5,000 reintegration allowance but were not paid the additional GH¢500 transportation allowance.
A further allegation was that payments had been made without corresponding signatures from the beneficiaries, although the names of the evacuees were reportedly associated with signatures in the Ministry’s payment records.
The Ministry described the allegations as serious and deserving of thorough investigation, saying they raised concerns about the integrity of the disbursement process and could affect the reputation of the institution and officers responsible for administering the payments.
To facilitate its investigation, the Ministry has asked JoyNews to provide the names and contact details of the three evacuees allegedly paid GH¢2,000 instead of GH¢5,500.
It has also requested the particulars of the approximately 40 evacuees alleged to have received the GH¢5,000 reintegration allowance without the additional GH¢500 transportation component.
Additionally, the Ministry wants the names and relevant details of evacuees who allegedly received payments without signing the corresponding acknowledgement records, despite their names being associated with signatures in its payment records.
The Ministry said the information would enable it to engage the individuals concerned, hear their accounts and examine the relevant payment and acknowledgement records to establish the facts.
It also requested any further particulars or supporting information available to the media organisation regarding the allegations.
In the letter, the Ministry stated that the allowances and reintegration packages had been publicly announced before the evacuation exercise began.
It further said that, as of the date of the letter, it had not received any complaint from an evacuee concerning a shortfall in either allowance.
The Ministry also noted that the allegations emerged approximately five months after the evacuation exercise commenced, arguing that the timing warranted clarification and verification.
It criticised JoyNews for allegedly failing to contact the Ministry to verify the outcome of its engagement with the evacuees before the claims were aired.
Despite the concerns raised, the Ministry said it remained committed to transparency, accountability and an impartial examination of the matter.
It urged the Multimedia Group to cooperate by providing the requested information to enable a thorough inquiry based on verifiable facts.