Chief Justice should prioritise corruption-related issues – Daniel Domelevo
A former Auditor-Genera, Daniel Domelevo has appealed to the Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah to try and prioritise corruption-related issues.
This, he explained is because corruption-related issues are national issues that affect all and sundry.
He added that when the issues of corruption are treated as a priority, it will enable the country to have value for money.
“He should try and prioritise issues pertaining and relating to corruption,” he pleaded.
He made this appeal in an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Monday following the Auditor-General’s report revealing some infractions in government’s expenditure for Covid-19 between March 2020 to June 2022.
A number of the corrupt activities which were identified include; payment of a total of US$607,419.02 out of US$4,049,460.12 for procurement of 26 ambulances which were not delivered, payment of unapproved GHȼ151,500 by the Information Ministry to its own staff as covid insurance, payment of $80m worth of vaccines by the government which was not delivered.
Even though Mr Domelovo noted that the canker is endemic, he urged the government to resource anti-corruption institutions such as the Office of Auditor-General. Office of Special Prosecutor, Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), etc to sustain the fight against corruption in the country.
“And also they should help them with the justice implementation system so that when the case goes to court, it must be heard.
“Some cases of corruption just go and sit in the court and nothing happens,” he added.
In a related development, the former Auditor-General suggested that persons responsible for various infractions in the covid-19 expenditure report by the Auditor-General must be surcharged.
He said the A-G should immediately serve notice of surcharge and disallowance to persons responsible for the infractions in the report.
This, he explained, would curb the “culture of impunity” in the public sector.
“I was waiting to hear that following this report, these people who are misusing money have been surcharged because if we do not do that, we can continuously audit thousand and one times but we will continue getting these infractions and even people get emboldened because they feel that nothing will be done as a result of this report,” he said.
Source: Ghana News
