Auditor General’s refusal to surcharge not in public interest - NDC MP

The Member of Parliament for Builsa South Dr. Clement Apaak has taken a swipe at Auditor-General John Akuamoah Asiedu over what he described as the latter’s refusal to surcharge persons to recover a GHC66 million which the former boss of the state body, Yaw Domelevo worked on.

Dr. Apaak believes the current AG does not have the public's interest at heart hence his refusal to surcharge those who were faulted in irregularities that amounted to the GHC66 million.

The MP asserted that Yaw Domelevo was in the process of surcharging and recovering the money following a Supreme Court affirmation in an OccupyGhana case before he was asked to move out of office.

“The power to disallow and surcharge was affirmed by the Supreme Court in the OccupyGhana case, and Daniel Yaw Domelevo gave it effect until he was hounded out of office.”

He said “I am now convinced that the current AG is not working in the public interest, he is not helping to protect the public purse. In fact, he is enhancing the dissipation of public resources.

It’s a shame that rather than working against corruption, the refusal of Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu to disallow and surcharge is enhancing corruption.”

Read his complete statement below:

Auditor General’s Refusal To Surcharge Not In Public Interest

Why has the current Auditor General (AG) Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, refused to use the power to disallow and surcharge to recover public funds when Daniel Yaw Domelevo used the same to recover GH 66M.

The power to disallow and surcharge was affirmed by the Supreme Court in the OccupyGhana case, and Daniel Yaw Domelevo gave it effect until he was hounded out of office.

Strangely Domelevo’s successor, the current AG, John Akuamoah Asiedu, has refused to use this power/authority. The 2020 & 2021 AG reports on Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) alone, which he superintended over, indicate that GH 12B & GH 17B can’t be accounted for respectively. Yet, he is not surcharging!

As a member of the Public Accounts Committee, I confronted him on this matter at a workshop. I had hoped that would ginger him to apply the power to disallow and surcharge in the public interest, but no.

I am convinced that the current AG is not working in the public interest, he is not helping to protect the public purse. In fact, he is enhancing the dissipation of public resources.

It’s a shame that rather than working against corruption, the refusal of Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu to disallow and surcharge is enhancing corruption.

An AG whose work is against the public interest is not fit for purpose and ought not to be tolerated. A public officer must work in the public interest.

In Solidarity,

Dr. Clement Apaak

M.P, Builsa South