Nana Addo fired me because my audits were biting hard at government – Domelevo

Former Auditor General Daniel Yaw Domelevo says he caused President Akufo-Addo and his government inconveniences, which was the major reason he was unconstitutionally removed from office.

Responding to a question about whether his removal was intentional because he was causing inconveniences, he said, "I definitely agree that I caused some inconveniences for Nana Addo and his government”.

He noted that he [Domelevo] was pursuing an agenda that was not in their [government] favour, so I was removed.

He told Dr. Ren on Rainbow Radio 92.4 FM, United Kingdom, that his audits were biting hard at the government, and because of that, he was seen as a threat and was removed unconstitutionally.

He revealed that in his letter to President Akufo-Addo after he had been asked to proceed on leave, he pointed out to him that ”I think he is doing this because he [the president] feels I am inconveniencing him or the way I am doing my work is inconveniencing his administration”.

Domelevo said the truth of the matter was that there were topical issues I was facing or an agenda I was pursuing, which the government knew was not going to be in their favour. One the government knew that my audit reports were hitting very hard”.

According to him, he was guided by the principle of public financial management, which storms at the top and drizzles at the bottom, and so it is a waste of our time and energy to be looking at the bottom. You must look at the top”.

He said what was necessary was to hit the top so that it would drizzle down to the bottom, and that way, the top guns who embezzle start funds would be exposed and would affect those at the bottom.

He argued that one of the most cardinal principles of fighting corruption is deterrence and not necessarily correction because correction and preventive measures are fantastic, but when people become afraid that when the system gets us, we cannot get away, then we are heading in the right direction.

”And you can’t get that from the bottom. If you start from there, you are wasting more of our resources than giving us value for money. So most of the time, you start from the top. So my reports were going to come out in 2020, around June… And the elections were in December. So what my reports would have done, nobody knows. So that was one of the issues. ‘ But that one is a bit speculative; let’s push it aside.”

He stated that his removal occurred at the same time that he had surcharged the then-Senior Minister and that the issue was difficult for both parties.

He went on to say that, while the then-minister went to court to challenge the issue, he was unsuccessful on his own grounds of national security; he [the senior minister] was cleared after he [Domelevo] was removed from office.

The other issue he referred to was the case involving the surcharge of Zoomlion and the directive for them to refund Ghc411 million, which they challenged at the High Court but lost and appealed, challenging the original jurisdiction of the Auditor General.

He said the apex court had already ruled and declared that the Auditor General had the mandate to audit any person, whether they were a public officer or not.

However, in the case of Zoomlion, the court held a different view adding it is my considered view that these were the factors that saw the president do what he did.