The former Auditor General, Daniel Yao Domelevo has earned lecture series from the Centre for Social Democracy and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung less than six months after he has hound from office by President Akufo-Addo.
The series dubbed “Demelevo Accountability Lectures” will have its maiden edition holding on July 1, 2021 at the Teachers Hall in Accra.
Mr. Daniel Yaw Domelevo undoubtedly can be said us one of the most effective Auditor-Generals in the fourth republic of Ghana who has earned a lot of public confidence through his fierce efforts in fighting corruption under President Akufo Addo led New Patriotic Party-led government.
Appointed by former President John Mahama at the tail end of his administration, Mr. Domelevo’s quest of rooting out corruption with the government is said to have been met with tough resistance from government officials and President Akufo-Addo.
The fight against Mr. Domelevo for fighting corruption is said to have become more open and intense after his surcharged the then Senior Minister, Yaw Osarfo Marfo on the award of Kroll and Associates $1million contract.
The Auditor-General in its annual report on Public Accounts of Ghana (PAG) as of 31 December 2018 on the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) stated that: “during our review of the contract with Kroll Associates, we noted that though there was no evidence of work done, the ministry, in 2018, paid an amount of US$1 million (the equivalent of GH¢4,890,000) to the company”.
The Senior Minister and the four other officials from the Ministry of Finance sued Mr. Domelevo to clear their names in relation to what was said to be breaches of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) that resulted in their payment of US$1 million to Kroll and Associates.
Mr. Osafo Maafo resorted to the courts because “the evidence available shows clearly that the Auditor-General erred in law and professional procedures in the exercise of his powers regarding his audit on payments to Kroll and Associates Limited.”
The legal battle was ongoing President Nana Akufo-Addo in a statement on June 29, 2020 directed the Auditor-General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo, to proceed on his accumulated annual leave of 123 working days.
But in a reply to the President’s directive, the Auditor-General asked him to reconsider his directive for him to proceed on his accumulated leave all although he was aware that his work was “embarrassing the government”, the directive had “serious implications for the constitutional independence of the office of the Auditor-General.”
“I think it necessary, however, to bring to the attention of the high office of the President a few matters relevant to our constitutional governance, due process and the rule of law… My knowledge of recent labour law and practice in the country is that no worker is deemed to have accumulated any leave on account of their having failed, omitted, neglected or even refused to enjoy their right to annual leave, which the law guarantees for their benefit, not the employer.”
“To the best of my knowledge, therefore, wherein any given year a worker fails, omits, neglects or even refuses to take their annual leave, such leave is deemed forfeited with no corresponding obligation on the part of the employer to enforce the worker’s right to take their leave by assuming, deeming or declaring the forfeited leave, accumulated,” the statement said.
It added that the action by the President was in bad faith as “the office must have been aware also that several appointees of the President, have not, since the year 2017 taken their annual leave to date.”
“The direction therefore that I proceed on leave, oblivious of the other workers similarly circumstanced, gives the impression that the decision is not taken in good faith,” the statement added.
He, however, proceeded on the leave amid pressure from prominent personalities and civil society organizations including lawsuits on President Akufo-Addo to revert his directive but he insists and Mr. Domelevo proceeded on the leave.
While on leave, the Audit Service Board accuse Mr. Domelevo of spending some money on his foreign travels asking him to refund $4,020.
On March 3, 2021, Mr. Domelevo resumed work after serving his 123 days leave only to be served with a letter from the Audit Service Board accusing him of being a Totoglese and that he falsified his date of birth.
President Akufo-Addo affirmed the position of the Audit Services Board and sacked the Auditor General for attaining retirement age.
By: Efo Korsi Senyo / awakenewsroom.com
