Auditor-General guilty of contempt in $1m Osafo Maafo case

• Posted on May 13, 2020May 13, 2020
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

An Accra High Court has found the Auditor-General, Daniel Domelovo, guilty of contempt in the Osafo Maafo US$1 million Kroll saga.

The court presided over by Justice Afia Asare Botwe described as untenable the Auditor General’s excuse that he was busy finishing up an audit report for Parliament the reason he failed to respond to an appeal seeking to set aside a surcharge.

The Senior Minister, Osafo Maafo, in his application, prayed the court to punish punish Mr. Daniel Domelovo for failing to respond to his case challenging the $1m surcharge on him within 14 days.

The court even though granted the request of the senior minster, did not impose a custodial sentence.

The Senior Minister and four other officials from the Ministry of Finance sued Daniel Yao Domelevo to clear their names in relation to what was said to be breaches of the Public Procurement Act that resulted in their payment of US$1 million to a private UK firm, Kroll and Associates.

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 audits on payments to Kroll and Associates Limited.

Daniel 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 ended up recommending the disallowance of the payment of the 1million US dollars to Kroll and Associates, which the government, through the Ministry of Finance paid.

The Auditor General also surcharged Osafo Maafo and four other officials from the Ministry of Finance.

By Godfred Tanam