Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs

Domelevo’s continuous disregard for constitutional procedures worrying – Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

Enoch Darfah Frimpong Politics May - 19 - 2020 , 14:23

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Majority Leader in Parliament, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has asked the Auditor-General to follow constitutional procedures by presenting his reports to Parliament and desist from leaking it to the press.

He said the Auditor-General, Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo’s continuous disregard for constitutional procedures was worrying and added that leaking reports to the press, disturbs the work of Parliament at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

This, he said was because, media discussions on the issues in the report, denies the persons mentioned in the report the opportunity to defend or offer explanations when they are implicated.

In addition to that, he said the only alternative for such persons, is to resort to the courts to clear their names and when that happens before the Public Accounts Committee looks at the report, it disturbs the work of the committee, since the court cases have to conclude before the committee is able to look at it.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, said depending on how the court decides on the issues, Parliament is sometimes unable to do anything about the report after the court cases.

He said the PAC ought to investigate and allow people mentioned in the report to defend themselves or offer explanations but when it is leaked, it denies the persons mentioned in the report the opportunity to offer explanations before the PAC sits on the matter.

To Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, even though the Auditor-General has previously distanced himself personally from the leak to the press, it was about time Mr Domelevo showed leadership and ensures that his office follows the constitutional processes.

He made the argument in a radio interview with Accra based Okay FM on its morning show programme monitored by Graphic Online on Tuesday morning [May 19, 2020].

He was called to react to a decision by the Auditor-General to reject a request for an audit verification to be conducted in order for the payment of salary arrears for over 200 former Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Fourth Parliament.

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The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs said, his argument was not to suggest that Mr Domelevo was not doing his work well since that was for the public to judge.

But he said the Auditor-General as a leader of his office should ensure that the processes and procedures laid out in the constitution are respected.

He said “it is for the public to judge” whether Mr Domelevo was doing his work well but insisted the processes and procedures ought to be followed.

He said the circumstances under which President John Mahama “two days” before he exited office appointed Mr Domelevo, has created the impression that he [Domelevo] was deliberately appointed to torment and disgrace government officials in the present government, and therefore Domelevo should try and work in a manner that will help dispel that suspicion and prove his quality as befitting the office.

He said his continuous resort to not following the constitutional procedures as to how he should go about his work was worrying.