Supreme Court Declares President’s Directive on Forced Leave Unconstitutional: Former Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo Feels Vindicated
Former Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo expressed his happiness and a sense of vindication following a Supreme Court ruling that deemed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s directive for him to take 169 days of forced leave in 2020 as “unconstitutional.”
Civil society organizations had filed a suit, arguing that the president’s actions undermined the independence of the Auditor-General’s office. Domelevo’s forced leave had sparked allegations of hindering anti-corruption efforts. After two years of legal disputes and the president rejecting appeals to rescind the directive, the Supreme Court upheld the suit on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, declaring the president’s directive “unconstitutional and null and void.”
In an interview on JoyNews’ Upfront show, Domelevo expressed his satisfaction with the court’s decision, feeling vindicated by it. He recalled how he had previously drawn attention to the unconstitutionality of the directive and was pleased that the court had affirmed his position.
Domelevo emphasized the importance of the verdict in discouraging similar unlawful acts against his successors, hoping that caution would be exercised to prevent a recurrence of such a situation in the future. He also expressed relief that future officeholders would not have to endure the same challenges he faced.
However, anti-corruption campaigner Vitus Azeem expressed disappointment with the Supreme Court’s lengthy deliberation. Azeem believed that justice had been denied to Domelevo due to the nearly three-year duration it took to reach a final decision on the matter.
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