Accountants in this country are dishonest in their work because of fear - Domelevo

The former Auditor General, Daniel Yao Domelevo, has shed light on the pervasive dishonesty among many accountants in the country.

He attributed this to an overwhelming fear for their lives and job security.

Speaking in an interview with Kwesi Pratt Jnr, in a television interview, the former Auditor General noted that despite the abundance of highly qualified chartered accountants in the country, Africa, and globally, their professionalism often takes a backseat due to an inherent fear.

He elaborated on the impact of this fear on accountants' ethical practices, revealing that when threatened, professionals in the field tend to overlook crucial information in their practice, compromising the integrity of their work.

“One thing I know and I believe to be true is that there are several very knowledgeable chartered accountants in this country, Africa and the world. What makes them unprofessional is fear. They fear for their lives, jobs. They think their job is the same as their lives.

“I may be attacked, removed or lose my job and as a result when they are threatened, they overlook some very key information in their practice,” he said.

Drawing from his personal experiences, Domelevo recounted the challenges he faced during his tenure as Auditor General, highlighting the inevitable consequences of standing against corruption.

“ I lost my job, in fact, I was not in any doubt that I would lose my job. If you heard me earlier on, I had made several statements in that direction. I stated very clearly that once you fight corruption, it is also going to fight you back, there is no two ways about that.

“I remember in Ho, when I began receiving threats that I will be removed just like that removed the former Electoral Commissioner, Charlotte Osei, and I stated to them that I don't care, they can remove me as they wish. I told them that leaving office is not the end of his life, at times it may even be a stepping stone for a place higher,” he said.

“...if we fear leaving our job, we compromise many times unnecessarily.”

NW/NOQ

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