Investigative journalist Manasseh Azuri Awuni has hit back at the President over his claims that former Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo was discharging his duties in the interest of former President John Dramani Mahama instead of the Republic of Ghana.

The President earlier this month, wrote a 21-paged statement signed by his Secretary and addressed to the CSOs Against Corruption who had accused the President of hounding the former Auditor-General out of office.

Among other things, the President sighted the last-minute appointment of Domelevo by the John Mahama administration for his forced leave on Domelevo and subsequent removal from office.

Following the President’s statement, some government officials including the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah have backed the claim that Domelevo in his much-touted surcharging and disallowance actions, only targeted officials of the current administration, whilst failing to do same against officials of the John Mahama administration.

But Manasseh Azure in a Facebook post has pointed out that the persons the current administration refer to as people including some contractors whom the former Auditor-General should have surcharged or disallowed certain payments to, never received payment from the Mahama administration or any government in the first place.

According to Manasseh, the former Auditor-General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo, in 2017 assessed some bills presented to the Mahama administration and advised that about half of the claims were not supported by evidence so payment should not be honoured.

“Some had already been paid for the work done and were presenting bills again to be paid. The Auditor-General said they should not be paid again. I'm told one contractor had been overpaid and when he was contacted, he said he had noticed it and had issued a cheque to the Ministry of Roads and Highways.

“The government did not proceed with those payments. President Akufo-Addo said in 2018 that these monies would have been lost but for the vigilance of the Auditor-General. Now, your point is that the Auditor-General should have surcharged the persons involved in the over 5 Billion Cedis that was not paid.

“How do you surcharge someone if the payment was not made?” Manasseh questioned Akufo-Addo.

“And how do you convince any reasonable person that just by surcharging six persons that included the senior minister in the Kroll matter, Domelevo was doing politics?

Also, note that Sylvester Mensah and other officials appointed by John Mahama were surcharged by Domelevo in a separate matter, so the continuous claim that no Mahama-era official was ever surcharged by Domelevo is false,” Manasseh wrote.

He further stated: “I understand the pain of the presidency that no one seems to believe them. But who, with their sanity and conscience intact, would believe the man who is praising Jospong and is condemning Domelevo that he's not working in the interest of the nation?”

Read Manasseh Azure’s full post below:

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the example you are citing is problematic, to say the least.
In 2017, the Ministry of Finance was presented with bills from from contractors for contracts awarded in the Mahama era. The Auditor-General and his team worked on them and concluded that about half of those claims could not be supported with the needed evidence to merit payment.

Some had already been paid for the work done and were presenting bills again to be paid. The Auditor-General said they should not be paid again. I'm told one contractor had been overpaid and when he was contacted, he said he had noticed it and had issued a cheque to the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
The government did not proceed with those payments. President Akufo-Addo said in 2018 that these monies would have been lost but for the vigilance of the Auditor-General.

Now, your point is that the Auditor-General should have surcharged the persons involved in the over 5 Billion Cedis that was not paid.

How do you surcharge someone if the payment was not made?

And if you claim the Auditor-General left them off the hook, what stopped the government from prosecuting those found culpable when the audit report was submitted to you? Was the government also compromised and owed allegiance to John Mahama?

And how do you convince any reasonable person that just by surcharging six persons that included the senior minister in the Kroll matter, Domelevo was doing politics?

Also, note that Sylvester Mensah and other officials appointed by John Mahama were surcharged by Domelevo in a separate matter, so the continuous claim that no Mahama-era official was ever surcharged by Domelevo is false.

I understand the pain of the presidency that no one seems to believe them. But who, with their sanity and conscience intact, would believe the man who is in praising Jospong and is condemning Domelevo that he's not working in the interest of the nation?

Anyway, I'm happy you cited this example. Finally, the initial lie that Domelevo never audited the Mahama era has been falsified. And this example is perhaps the biggest saving this country has made from a single audit.