The Audit Service Board says the retirement date for Auditor-General, Daniel Yao Domelevo was June 1, 2020.

This, according to the Board is because Mr Domelevo was born in 1960 and not 1961.

In a three-page letter addressed to Mr. Domelevo who is currently on mandatory leave, the Audit Service Board said the clarification is based on personal records available to the Public Service of Ghana.

The development follows series of letters between the Chairman of the Audit Service Board, Prof. Edward Dua Agyeman and Mr. Domelevo.

In an earlier letter dated February 26, 2021, the Audit Service Board said it had discovered some irregularities and anomalies and requested an explanation.

The Board alleged that records at the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) provided by the Auditor-General indicated that his date of birth was 1960 when he joined the scheme on October 1, 1978.

Again the record also showed that the hometown of Mr. Domelevo is Agbetofe in Togo; making him non-Ghanaian but on October 25, 1993, some changes were made.

While the date of birth changed to June 1, 1961, the hometown of the Auditor-General was now Ada in the Greater Accra Region.

But explaining the purported anomalies, Mr. Domelevo said his grandfather was a native of Ada in the Greater Accra Region but migrated to Togo and stayed at Agbetofe.

On the issue of his date of birth, Mr. Domelevo said he noticed that 1960 was a mistake “when I checked my information in the baptismal register of the Catholic Church in Adeemmra.”

"I was born in Kumasi and my mother in less than three weeks after my birth, returned to Kwahu Adeemmra (with me) and I was baptized in June 1961," Mr. Domelevo added.

However, the Audit Service Board in its latest document dated March 2, said the explanation given makes the "date of birth and Ghanaian nationality even more doubtful and clearly establishes that you have made false statements contrary to law."

Due to this, the Board said Mr. Domelevo is deemed to have retire in June 2020.

"By a copy of this letter the Board is informing the President who is your appointing authority to take the necessary action. Additionally, the Board is making available to the President all the relevant documents at our disposal," the letter concluded.

Meanwhile, many Ghanaians including some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have attributed the 'alleged witch-hunt' by the Presidency to the $1 million surcharge slapped on former Senior Minister, Osarfo Marfo by the Auditor General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo.

Chronology of event

In 2018, Mr Domelevo surcharged then Senior Minister, Osafo-Maafo for superintending over the payment of some $1 million to Kroll Associates by the Ministry of Finance.

According to Mr Domelevo, there was no evidence of work done by the UK-based firm, yet money was paid by the Finance Ministry.

The AG, therefore, surcharged Senior Minister Osafo-Maafo and four other officials of the Finance Ministry. But the Senior Minister denied the allegations.

Senior Minister responds to Auditor-General on $1m Kroll payment

After rejecting the explanation by Osafo Marfo, the Auditor-General Daniel Domelevo revealed on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show that, the Senior Minister has 60 days to go to court to seek an order setting aside his surcharge.

Osafo-Maafo explanations rejected, surcharged $1m over Kroll contract

In December 2019, the Senior Minister moved to challenge the $1million surcharge against him.

Osafo Maafo moves to challenge $1m surcharge by Auditor-General

An application was also filed on the same matter at the Supreme Court.

Counsel for the five appellants, Mr Yaw Oppong, argued that the Auditor-General acted “unreasonably, capriciously, maliciously and in blatant violation of his duty as a public officer”.

He maintained that the Auditor-General failed to inspect certain documents which held evidence of work done provided by Mr. Osafo-Maafo before the surcharge.

High court finds Auditor General guilty of contempt

But while the case was in court, Mr. Domelevo was asked by President Nana Akufo-Addo to proceed on leave.

Akufo-Addo directs Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo to take accumulated leave

Mr. Domelevo’s deputy, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, was asked to take up the position of Acting Auditor-General.

He, therefore, led the inspection of the documents as directed by the Supreme Court and expressed satisfaction.

Acting Auditor-General satisfied after examining Osafo Maafo’s documents in $1m Kroll saga

When Mr. Domelevo raised concerns about the leave, the Presidency extended it.

Auditor-General Domelevo’s leave period extended from 123 to 167 days – Presidency

A week after that, the Auditor-General was astonished to discover that the locks to his office had been changed when he went by to pick up some documents.

Locks to Auditor-General, Domelevo’s office changed while on leave

The High Court then proceeded to deliver its judgment based on the report of the Acting Auditor-General.

Domelevo did not abide by rules of natural justice in $1m Kroll Audit – High Court rules