Domelevo wants passage of Conduct of Office Holders bill … calls for lifestyle audits, action on Illicit financial flows

The former Auditor General, Daniel Domelevo, has called on the next government and parliament to prioritize passing the Conduct of Office Holders Bill, which has been pending since 2016. 

He noted that the bill had been under consideration even before his tenure began in 2016 and stressed its importance for promoting accountability and good governance.

Speaking at an event on curbing illicit financial flows in Ghana, under the auspices of the Media Foundation for West Africa(MfWA) Mr Domelevo said, “I know this because the then Minister for Justice, Gloria Akufo forwarded it to my team and within two weeks I gave my comments and up to today, that bill has not been passed because that bill will check some behaviours and limits what a public officer can collect in the name of a gift and will require that assets are published and verified.”

The former Auditor General highlighted that while the assets and liabilities declaration system is effective, it requires lifestyle audits to prevent public officials from concealing assets under the names of relatives or friends.

“We need assets and declaration but we need a law on lifestyle audit because it will go far because the one you hide the money with or your resources with can’t be anybody at all. So once we can identify him, that this gentleman , you started working three years ago and your salary is just 10,000 and you have a mansion at East Legon – tell us how you came about it, if you are going to justify it or you still got so much that is okay, but if you cannot explain it, then we need the law to reverse the burden of proof. We don’t need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that you stole the money…” he said.

He maintained that lifestyle audits could help identify inconsistencies, such as a low-earning individual owning properties beyond their means. He also advocated for a law to reverse the burden of proof, requiring individuals to justify their wealth if it appears disproportionate to their income, as outlined in the Anti-Money Laundering Act. Such measures, he argued, are critical in tackling corruption.

Mr. Domelevo underscored the importance of protecting the public purse, ensuring state funds are managed in line with constitutional provisions.

 He criticized Ghana’s Public Procurement Act for favoring foreigners in high-value procurements and called for a comprehensive approach to tackle illicit financial flows, which undermine the economy and weaken the currency.

He pointed out that multinational financial institutions facilitate illicit flows through practices like transfer pricing. 

“We must tackle illicit financial flows, as they will otherwise continue to weaken the Ghanaian currency .” he said.

Echoing these concerns, Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of MFWA, highlighted corruption and illicit financial flows as major barriers to Ghana’s progress. Both stressed the need for systems that ensure funds serve their intended purposes and deliver value for money.

By Eugene Davis