The Office of the President has refuted claims that the Auditor-General Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo’s authorisation to proceed on his 123 days accumulated leave was borne out of malice.
Mr Domelevo was directed to take his accumulated leave of 123 days by the President on 29th June 2020. The directive which was to take effect on July 1 2020 according to the office of the President was necessary since Mr Domelevo had refused to take his annual leave since he assumed office even after being directed by his board of governors.
In response, Mr Domelevo in a letter which was also copied to the press called on the President to reconsider his stance since it could have dire consequences on the “labour law, the constitution, and the independence of the Auditor-General.”
Mr Domelevo also made some claims suggesting that the directive to take his leave was a deliberate attempt to sabotage him since “previous correspondence from the Chairman of the Audit Service Board (who works at the Office of the Senior Minister) together with public pronouncement by Ministers make it clear the Auditor-General’s work is embarrassing the government.
Mr Domelevo also indicated that as part of his conditions of service, he had the right to waive certain privileges associated with the office of which he decided to waive his leave a practice he claimed some Presidential staffers were also part of.
However, a recent response from the Presidency has refuted all the allegations brought forward by Mr Domelevo in his letter. The Office of the President said every decision taken on the matter is premised on the Rule of law with no malicious intentions as alleged by Mr Domelevo.
The letter which was signed by the Secretary to the President Nana Bediatuo Asante said ” it is necessary to correct the wrong impression you have sought to create in the public domain regarding the President’s directive to you to proceed on your accumulated leave. The President has at all times acted based on sound legal principles, the Rule of Law and good governance practices.”
The letter added that Mr Domelevo cannot be allowed to mislead ” the good people of Ghana” due to his “lack of understanding of the position of the law.”
The letter explained that the President being the appointing officer for the Office of the Auditor-General as enshrined in Article 70 of the Constitution had the sole right per article 297(a) of the constitution “to exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in any such office.”
This according to the letter meant that since Mr Domelevo failed to comply with a basic term of his appointment such as taking annual leave, the President has the power to exercise disciplinary control over Mr Domelevo to ensure he complies with the term of his appointment adding that this exercise of power had no way to affect the office of the Auditor-General which the constitution already guarantees.
Attached is a copy of the letter
Source: ATLFMNEWS
