The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Against Corruption has taken on President Akufo-Addo over the forced retirement of immediate-past Auditor-General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo.
In a statement, the CSOs opined that Mr. Domelevo’s forced retirement is an affront to good governance and the fight against corruption.
The coalition expressed complete disappointment about this development, especially the manner in which
the matter has been handled by the Presidency ‘acting in concert’ with the Chairman of the Audit Service Board, Prof. Edward Dua Agyemang.
“The forced retirement of a constitutionally independent Auditor General who has excelled in his role since assuming office—recovering millions of cedis for the State leveraging his surcharge and disallowances powers—is not only constitutionally perverse, but it sends the wrong signals about the Nana Addo-led government’s commitment to fighting corruption and upholding the rule of law,” portions of the release stated.
According to the CSOs, the action by the Office of the President practically eviscerates the independence of the Office of the Auditor General and other independent constitutional bodies.
It also notes with regret that the Supreme Court is yet to determine two suits relating to the constitutionality of the Auditor-General’s forced ‘accumulated leave’ by the
On March 2, a day before Mr. Domelevo was scheduled to return from his controversial forced leave, the Audit Service Board questioned his nationality and age.
The Board claimed Mr. Domelevo should have retired in 2020 and is Togolese.
The Audit Service Board, based its claims on records at the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) provided by the Auditor General.
His date of birth is said to be June 1, 1960, and not June 1, 1961.
Mr. Domelevo however refuted these claims in further correspondence.
The Presidency endorsed the retirement claims of the Audit Service Board and said it considered Mr. Domelevo retired.
“The President is of the view that you [Domelevo] have formally left office,” the letter from the presidency said in response to the date of birth concerns.
In a letter, the Presidency thanked him for his service and indicated that a substantive replacement for him will soon be announced.
In the meantime, the Deputy Auditor General, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu is to continue to work as the acting Auditor General.
Mr. Domelevo had been hailed as one of Ghana’s most effective Auditor-Generals because of his openness with the public on his work and anti-corruption advocacy.
He was notable for using Article 187 (7) of Ghana’s constitution which enables him to disallow illegal expenditures and surcharge offenders following a 2017 Supreme Court decision after legal action by OccupyGhana.
