PRESS STATEMENT

For Immediate Release

Friday, March 5, 2021

Auditor-General’s forced retirement is an affront to good governance and the fight against corruption

The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations Against Corruption has taken note of a letter dated March 3, 2021, issued by the Office of the President retiring the Auditor-General, Mr. Daniel Domelevo. This letter comes barely a day after Auditor-General Domelevo returned to his post from another unconstitutional directive that forced him to proceed on ‘accumulated leave’ of 167 days.

The Coalition is extremely disappointed 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. Further, this action by the Office of the President practically eviscerates the independence of the Office of the Auditor General and other independent constitutional bodies.

The Coalition also notes with regret that the Supreme Court is yet to determine two (2) suits relating to the constitutionality of the Auditor-General’s forced ‘accumulated leave’ by the President which were filed by Professor Kwaku Asare and nine (9) CSOs in July and October 2020 respectively. In part, this unexplained delay in hearing these time-sensitive cases has rendered some of the issues raised before the court moot and has allowed a grave breach of the Constitution to fester, in our estimation.

The Coalition shall in due course engage the media and the public more comprehensively on its concerns over this regrettable development.

…Signed…

Coalition of CSOs Against Corruption

For further information, please contact

Efua Idan Atadja

Communications Specialist, CDD-Ghana

Tel: +233 59 691 3690 / +233 24 214 7970

Faustina Djabatey

Communication Officer, GACC

Tel: +233 54 032 6471