Economic Fighters League defend Domelevo against “shameless acts of intimidation”
Ghana’s leftist political group, The Economic Fighters League (EFL) has expressed solidarity with anti-corruption campaigner and Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo, who has been asked to proceed on leave.
The anti-graft campaigner is expected to begin his leave on July 1, following the directive by President Nana Akufo-Addo.
He was asked to take accumulated leave of 123 days with the letter stating that he had taken a break for only nine days since he started work in 2016.
The decision was based on sections 20 (1) and 31 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), which apply to workers, including public office holders such as the Auditor-General.
The Board Chairman of the Audit Service, Prof Duah Agyeman, had explained that Mr Domelevo was reluctant to take his leave anytime there was a discussion for officials to take a break.
But the Fighters have called on “well-meaning Ghanaians to speak up and defend the Auditor-General as the last bastion of dignity in public service”.
This was contained in a press release by the pressure group’s leader, Ernesto Yeboah.
“We will like to reiterate our support to him and encourage him to be steadfast and not be deterred by these shameless acts of intimidation calculated to derail his work or to hound him out of office altogether,” the statement emphasised.
The Fighters believe the action is a subtle way of removing Mr Domelovo from office.
They came to the conclusion “against the background that previous public servants have been effectively removed from office under the pretext of asking them to proceed on leave.”
Since his appointment, he has surcharged several individuals and entities and recovered millions of misappropriated funds.
“Due to Mr Domelevo’s unrelenting pursuit of corrupt officials including those of the current government, there have been attempts to gag and intimidate him. We will not forget the undue interference by the Board of the Audit Service in the work of the Auditor-General, the frivolous investigation by the BNI, the public attacks by pro-government media and other groups,” the release stressed.
Meanwhile, several critics and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have questioned the president’s action.
Professor Stephen Kweku Asare, a D&D Fellow in Public Law and a law lecturer, is one of the vocal persons who have kicked against the move.
Anti-graft campaigner, Vitus Azeem, has also questioned the motive of the directive.