General News of Wednesday, 10 March 2021

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Domelevo Retirement: Supreme Court allowed constitutional breach to fester - CSOs Against Corruption

File photo: The group is calling on the Supreme Court to deal with the suits expeditiously play videoFile photo: The group is calling on the Supreme Court to deal with the suits expeditiously

Civil Society Organisations making up the CSOs Against Corruption has cited the Supreme Court as being complicit in what it has described as purposeful and targeted, the “unconstitutional forced retirement” of former Auditor General, Mr Daniel Yao Domelevo.

The CSOs at a press conference held on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, at the head office of the Center for Democratic Development, alluded that the failure of the Court to make pronouncement on two separate suits challenging the constitutionality of the Auditor General’s “forced leave” by the Office of the President, gave room for constitution breach in their estimation.

“The Coalition notes with regret that the Supreme Court is yet to determine two (2) suits relating to the constitutionality of the Auditor General’s forced ‘accumulated leave’ by the President which were filed by Prof Kwaku Asare and 9 CSOs in July and October 2020 respectively. In part, this delay in hearing these-time sensitive cases has rendered some of the issues before the court moot and has allowed a grave breach of the Constitution to fester, in our estimation,” the group noted.

According to the CSOs, the suits pending before the Supreme Court goes beyond the case of the Auditor General and the actions of the President, as it borders on the broader issues of whether the President could exercise administrative authority over Independent Constitutional Bodies (ICBs).

The group also noted the need for the court to deal with the suits expeditiously to prevent any such actions by a future President.

The group believes the Supreme Courts' determination on the matter will go in favour of promoting good governance, constitutionalism and public accountability and has therefore called on the court to deal with the two suits as soon as practicable.



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