An Accra High Court has today, Tuesday May 12, 2020 found the Auditor-General, Daniel Domelovo, guilty of contempt in the Osafo Maafo US$1 million Kroll saga.
BestNewsGH.com reports the Court, presided over by Justice Afia Asare Botwe as holding that the reason given by Mr Domelovo that he was busy finishing up an audit report for Parliament hence his failure to respond to an appeal seeking to set aside a surcharge is “untenable and an afterthought.”
Mr. Osafo Maafo who is also the Senior Minister in his application, prayed the court to punish Mr. Domelovo for failing to respond to his case challenging the $1m surcharge on him within 14 days.
BestNewsGH.com can confirm that even though the court granted Mr. Osafo Maafo’s request, it did not impose a custodial sentence.
Background
The Senior Minister and four other officials from the Ministry of Finance sued Mr. Domelevo to clear their names in relation to what was said to be breaches of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) that resulted in their payment of US$1 million to a private UK firm, Kroll and Associates.
Mr. Osafo Maafo had said he was resorting to the courts because “the evidence available shows clearly that the Auditor-General erred in law and professional procedures in the exercise of his powers regarding his audit on payments to Kroll and Associates Limited.”
“I have on Wednesday, 11th December 2019, instructed my lawyers to commence legal processes to challenge a Disallowance and Surcharge imposed on me by the Auditor-General following his notice on 24th October 2019.”
Mr. Domelevo had concluded that Kroll was paid for no work done, following what he said was the persistent failure of the Senior Minister to provide proof of actual work done.
He consequently recommended the disallowance of the payment of the US$1million to Kroll and Associates, which the government, through the Ministry of Finance paid.
Mr. Domelevo also surcharged Mr Osafo Maafo and four other officials from the Ministry of Finance.
Source: BestNewsGH.com with additional info from Citinewsroom
