…Auditor-General Vows As He Applies For Prosecutorial Powers
The Auditor-General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo, says he has applied to the Attorney General to grant him powers to prosecute persons indicted in the Auditor General’s report.
Addressing journalists on Monday, February 5, 2018, Mr. Domelevo said “…if a fiat is given by the Attorney General to Audit Service just like it has been given to the police and others to prosecute…which I have actually applied for, you will see me in action.”
Domelevo made the announcement on the back of revelations from a 2016 audit of the finances of the various ministries, departments and agencies, which revealed that some state agencies engaged in unlawful monetary practices.
The Auditor General had earlier disclosed that, some GHc5.4 billion was wrongfully paid to contractors and other service providers by officials at the various ministries between 2014-2017.
Domelevo said he has disallowed such payments, and has recommended prosecution of the officials who presided over same.
The Supreme Court in June 2017 ordered the Auditor General to, with immediate effect; begin surcharging persons found to have misappropriated monies belonging to the state.
The order was secured after a suit filed by pressure group, Occupy Ghana in June 2016.
62 firms surcharged by Auditor General to cough up nearly Ghc9m
The Auditor General subsequently in December 2017 announced that it has surcharged 62 organisations for receiving payments from the state without any documentation as proof.
The surcharge certificates totaling GH¢8,886,791.9101742 according to the Auditor General, was for the period between December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2015.
The companies, mostly private organisations, also included some state institutions and staff of some government agencies.
In a release by the Auditor General’s office, it said that efforts to track down the listed companies had been fruitless forcing them to publish their names.
