Akufo-Addo Dismisses CSOs Who Want Auditor-General Reinstated

President Akufo-Addo has confirmed that the disguised forced leave of Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo was indeed a permanent removal from office.

In response to hundreds of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that petitioned the president to reinstate the Auditor-General noted for his exposition of corruption among public officials and government appointees.

 “… the position of the President as contained in the letter dated July 3, 2020, from this Office to the Auditor-General remains the same,” a statement signed by Secretary to the President Nana Asante Bediatuo said.

The President had forcefully ordered the A-G to proceed on a 123-day accumulated annual leave.

Mr. Domevelo protested that he was not obliged to take all those days off after forfeiting them. However a stern response from the President ordered the embattled state auditor to take additional days off, totalling 167 days.

These new days include the 2020 annual leave entitlement of the A-G. Essentially, Mr. Domelevo who is a few months to his retirement will not be returning because those 167 days would have eaten up his remaining legally employable age.

The CSOs argued that the President’s order threatens the independence of the Auditor-General and downplays Ghana’s effort to fight corruption.

London-based Ghanaian Korieh Duodu, and Lolan Sagoe-Moses on July 8, 2020, petitioned President Akufo-Addo to reinstate the Auditor-General but the president insists he cannot grant any of the requests.

At the time of asking the A-G to proceed on leave, he was seriously investigating the Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo, who reportedly paid a whopping US$ 1 million to UK-based Kroll and Associates for no work done.

The case had been taken to court by maverick musician, Kwame Asare Obeng “A-Plus”.

Before proceeding on leave, the Auditor General Yaw Domelovo had been given 10 days by the Supreme Court to inspect documents and submit written submission concerning a surcharged slapped on the Senior Minister by the substantive Auditor-General Mr. Domevelo, over his [Osafo Marfo’s] failure to show evidence of work done by Kroll Associates for which they received $1million.

The matter has been a subject of litigation in the Supreme Court for several months now, but Akuamoah Asiedu who is a temporary stand-in for the Mr. Domevelo, immediately cleared Mr. Osafo Marfo the very first day of temporarily assuming the responsibilities of his boss who has been following a long paper trail to prove that Mr. Osafo Marfo fraudulently paid the staggering amount to Kroll Associates.

In a letter written on July 2, 2020 (Mr Domelevo’s leave started on July 1, 2020), the Acting A-G wrote; “Reference to our letter dated 25/6/2020 and yours dated 30/6/2020, and the inspection of the documents in your office on 2/7/2020. We wish to state that we are satisfied with the process and therefore propose that the lawyers inform the Supreme Court accordingly to enable the parties go back to the High Court to continue with the proceedings in that Court.” This letter essentially sought to clear the Senior Minister of the fishy deal