Audio: Danish Ambassador sad about public institutions fighting Special Prosecutor, Auditor-General

The Danish Ambassador to Ghana, Mrs Tove Degnbol, has criticised public institutions and officials who are waging a relentless war against anti-corruption institutions in Ghana.

Mrs Degnbol is worried about the incessant attacks and efforts aimed at frustrating anti-corruption officials from discharging their duties effectively.

The situation, she says has caught the attention of the international community.

Mrs Degnbol, who said her country has made several efforts to collaborate with Ghana to tackle the corruption canker, believes the current development is not healthy for a country striving to elevate itself above corruption.

Speaking at the inaugural Ghana Integrity Awards organised by the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) on Monday, Mrs Degnbol said: “It is particularly sad to see that certain public institutions are doing their utmost to put hindrances in the way for integrity institutions such as the Auditor-General’s Office and the Office of the Special Prosecutor on anti-corruption”.

“As we are approaching an election year, the attacks against integrity institutions and individuals contributing to fight corruption seem to be on the increase. This is noted with a lot of concern by many in the international community.

“The Auditor-General has said you cannot fight corruption without corruption, fighting you. This is sad. But apparently true in Ghana, where constant attempt to challenge mandate and personal integrity and systematic hindrances of efforts to fight corruption seems to be the prize to pay for those brave enough to take up the fight,” she added.

She expressed concerns about “making corruption a high-risk enterprise as the Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has called for”.

Recently, there have been a back-and-forth between Auditor-General, Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo on the one hand and the Office of the Senior Minister, Mr Yaw Osafo Marfo as well as the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) on the other hand.

Mr Domelevo surcharged Mr Osafo Marfo for supervising the payment of $1 million to private firm Kroll & Associates for “no work done”, according to the 2018 Auditor-General’s report.

Just around the same time that Mr Domelevo was having his duel with the Senior Minister, EOCO launched a full-scale investigation into alleged procurement breaches against him vis-à-vis the purchase of some vehicles for the Audit Service.

A private citizen lodged a complaint with the state investigative body against the Auditor-General, the Deputy Auditor-General (Finance and Administration), Mrs Roberta Assiamah-Appiah, and the Audit Service Board, accusing them of circumventing the procurement laws.

Mr Domelevo, however, denied all the allegations and described the petition as a “storm in a teacup.”

Meanwhile, Mr Domelevo , has been adjudged the Integrity Personality of the Year.

Others who got nominated for the coveted Integrity Personality of the Year award include freelance investigative Journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni; the Director of Ghana Think Foundation, Ato Ulzen-Appiah; Managing Director of Ghana Publishing Company, Ing. Edward Sowah Adjetey and Engineer at State Housing

Company Limited Ghana, Mr David Boateng Asante.