We don’t manage public funds with the Bible – Domelevo to National Cathedral board of trustees

Former Auditor General Daniel Domelevo has emphasized the need for the administration of state funds to be strictly aligned with the provisions of the constitution.

Speaking on the government's funding of the National Cathedral construction and the controversy it has generated, Mr Domelevo said the allocation of public funds should not be subjected to theology.

"Unfortunately, the trustees are all men of God, but let me say we don't manage public funds with the Bible or theology; we manage public funds with the constitution," he stated during an event on curbing illicit financial flows in Ghana on Tuesday, December 3, 2024.

According to a report by myjoyonline.com, the former Auditor General emphasized that the management of state coffers should be subject to the laws of the country, including the Public Procurement and Internal Audit Act, and "not the Bible."

The statement by Mr. Domelevo comes on the back of a recent report by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), which recommended a forensic audit and potential prosecution of the trustees of the National Cathedral project, who all happen to be members of the clergy.

However, according to Mr. Domelevo, the board of trustees, in the discharge of their duties, should have obeyed the laws, arguing that the Bible "cannot save you this time."

The CHRAJ report followed an investigation by the institution after the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, had petitioned CHRAJ.

The report, among other things, recommended that the Office of the Auditor General conduct a forensic investigation into the National Cathedral project and consider possible prosecution of the board members involved for breach of certain regulations.

GA/EK

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