CDD’s Pumpuni Asante blasts govt for locking out Domelevo from his office

Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Kojo Pumpuni Asante, has said he is shocked to learn that locks on the Auditor-General’s office have been changed while he is on forced leave.

The Auditor-General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo, revealed in a video that locks to his office have been changed without his knowledge, 28 days into a directive by President Nana Akufo-Addo ordering him to proceed on his accumulated leave.

Reacting to the revelations shortly after the video was aired, Dr Asante told Joy FM that he was dumbfounded over the news.

He said it was unfortunate that the head of an independent anti-graft institution could be treated like that.

“I have been speechless since I saw the video. This is really low for our country. I had never thought that we will be seeing something like this and it is really appalling.

“This is still the substantive Auditor General. So why would you go and change the lock to the office of someone on leave, because this doesn’t make any sense?” he lamented.

He said the seeming attack by the government on independent institutions mandated to fight graft and protect the public purse could derail Ghana’s democratic gains.

“This is over 20 years of democratic governance in this country and this is what we do. We have reduced our governance to this? And we are going to rationalize this?” he asked.

He added: “I think anybody that has love for this country and people who want to do the right thing and work should never be treated this way.

“And if we start allowing some of these things to happen, we will completely run down all our institutions that we have built under the Fourth Republic.”

Mr Domelevo, regarded as a fearless anti-corruption campaigner, challenged the order from the Presidency directing him to take his accumulated leave and hence asked the President to rescind his decision.

The Presidency wrote back to him extending his leave period from 123 days to 167 days in what many see as a clear punishment for asking the President to reconsider his directive.

Before the proceed-on-leave directive, Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo had been battling Senior Minister, Yaw Asafo-Maafo, and others for superintending a $1 million payment to Kroll & Associates allegedly for no work done.