Reports about the Auditor-General Daniel Yaw Domelevo running a one-man-show at the Audit Service are gaining ground, as it has emerged that he has ignored a directive from President Akufo-Addo to audit the liabilities of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to contractors as of December 31, 2016, for them to be paid.
The Auditor-General, who has received money he requested to carry out the audit from the exchequer, says that nobody can force him to do his job.
DAILY GUIDE gathered that in August 2017, Cabinet requested an audit of the liabilities of MMDAs as of 31 December, 2016, prior to the payment of contractors, who executed projects at the assemblies at the cost of over GH¢640 million.
The Ministry of Local Government drew the attention of the President to the huge indebtedness of the assemblies to the contractors who agitated for their monies.
The Auditor-General was said to have asked for budget to carry out the exercise and duly submitted GH¢1,346,856 which was released by the Finance Ministry as far back as February, 2018.
Seven months after the release of the money, no audit has been conducted, but the Auditor-General indicated to the President that the money should be returned to the Consolidate Funds.
A reminder from the Audit Service Board and the Senior Minister for Mr Domelevo to do the needful was ignored.
Loggerheads
There are allegations that the Auditor-General has decided not to take the inputs of the Audit Service Board since he considers that as interference or being subjected to the direction and control of another person or authority.
He has since failed to heed the advice of the board to audit the liabilities of some 213 MMDAs for government to pay GH¢640,147,537.95 to the contractors.
DAILY GUIDE has gathered that the Auditor-General claims to be waiting for a letter from the President to conduct the audit.
MMDA’s Debts
The contractors have over the past months expressed their anger over the unpaid monies which they say is negatively affecting them, as the banks and other creditors are breathing down their necks for their monies.
Mr. Domelevo’s refusal to carry out the task stems from the fact that he sees the decision of the Audit Board to remind him as taking instructions from others contrary to Article 187(7) (a) of the 1992 Constitution.
Auditing Budget
Information revealed that the office of the Senior Minister was to coordinate the auditing of the 213 MMDAs.
On August 18, 2017, there was a meeting between the Audit Service, Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and Financial Forensic Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (FFU/CID) of the Ghana Police Service over the matter.
According to sources, officials at the meeting concluded that the Audit Service has the capacity to conduct the audit and subsequently asked the Auditor-General to submit a budget for the exercise.
On August 22, 2017, the Auditor-General submitted a budget to the Ministry of Finance through the office of the Senior Minister.
On 9th February, 2018, the Ministry of Finance authorised the Controller and Accountant-General to release an amount of GH¢1,346,856.00 to the Audit Service per the budget presented by the Auditor-General.
Neglect
The paper is reliably informed that when the Board approached Mr Domelevo over the matter, he retorted that he would not audit the liabilities under the control of any person or authority.
He, therefore, asked the Board to inform the Office of the President to return the money to the Consolidated Fund.
DAILY GUIDE has learnt that Mr. Domelevo claims the President should write directly to him and not through the Cabinet or Senior Minister.
The paper gathered that the development has not gone down well with the Audit Service Board since Mr Domelevo has conducted similar audits without any letter from the President.
Source: Daily Guide
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
The Auditor-General says no one can force him to work because he knows his work.
He wants to sack the Auditor general like he did to E.C chair,(that is module operandi), everybody knows that the Auditor-General will be set-up with a trap, and if he falls into it, then somebody in the auditor-general department will send a petition to the president, and they will set up a kangaro committee to probe and sack him. Because the the auditor general is exposing their rotten corrupt practices...and they are not happy.
you have received money to do an audit job so that poor contractors can be paid and for 8month you have not even started and here people who refusing to read are also talking anyhow, If he were to audit himself so he can be paid, he would have done that in one month. Ghana needs to move forward and all these slow people must not be entertained
If NPP government cannot work with officials it did not appoint then it smells of corruption. And if this government start to instigate people against this Auditor General, Ghanaians will rise against the government.
This Banana Republic under Akufo addo is sickening. Those Pastors and Opinion leaders who have bought into the idea of OSAFO MARFOA that this country should be Govern by only the people with natural resources should rethink again. Those pastors and chiefs who ate day dreaming that they will sell their contains for money from Nana Akofu Addo and think we shall fall for it. Ghana is a Democratic country let us all respect it. Nobody is less Ghanaian .
What are you f---oooo----ll saying? Whose work is the Auditor-General doing? Does the Auditor-General own his private audit firm? Is he not working for the Government of Ghana? By the way, have you yourself read the Act that established the Auditor-General's office. And what does it say?
Another ploy to sack him and bring their own there. This the same way Daily Guide started EC chairman's removal ploy. Akufool Addo will go down in Ghana's history as the most corrupt president ever ruled Ghana. Who told you auditor general is the one to audit documents prior to payment? The ***barred word*** Daily Garbage illiterate journalists must go and read the act that established the Auditor General's Office whether the president can order him around. Cheap president and government!