Former Auditor-General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo believes financial malpractice, among other vices, are thriving in Ghana as a result of lack of control mechanisms to deal with perpetrators of such deeds.
He says the tendency for people to take opportunities out of situations is inherent in humans, and the establishment of institutions to cater for the abuse of such things is what controls the propensity of their occurrence.
He therefore asserts that Ghana is engulfed with financial malpractices because of the lack of sanctions which serves as a motivation for people to do so.
Speaking on TV3’s Hot Issues with Keminni Amanor Sunday, March 17, 2024, Mr. Domelevo noted that “wherever people find opportunity, they will like to misbehave or abuse the opportunity if the controls are not working. If there are no consequences for financial malpractices, if people think they can get away with it, it will continue.”
Like George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the former Auditor-General believes some people are more important than others and by virtue of their positions, they commit crimes and are not caught up by the laws like in the case of others.
“So, I believe that because the system has not been set up clearly to ensure that it doesn’t matter who you are, if you go contrary to the rules, the sanctions will be administered on you, that’s why I think that the level of impunity… and it keeps growing every time, so I think that may largely account for where we are now,” he reemphasized.
He continued that “where there is no deterrence for misbehaviour, people tend to misbehave” and until laid down sanctions are applied to persons who flout the rules notwithstanding their influence in society, Ghana will continually be fetching water with a basket.
Daniel Yaw Domelevo is an accountant who currently serves as a Board member of the Global Fund. He is a former Auditor-General of Ghana. He was appointed by John Dramani Mahama in 2016 to replace Richard Quartei Quartey who had retired from public service.
But President Akufo-Addo ousted him from office citing some reasons which the Supreme Court later found unfounded.
