Osafo Maafo, 4 others appeal Auditor General's $1 million surcharge

Enoch Darfah Frimpong Dec - 12 - 2019 , 18:36 2 minutes read

The Senior Minister, Mr Yaw Osafo Maafo and four other officials from the Ministry of Finance have filed a notice of appeal against the Auditor General's US$1 million Disallowance and Surcharge in respect of the contract to Kroll and Associates.

The appellants are seeking to set the Surcharge by the Auditor General aside and clear their names in relation to what is said to be breaches of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) that resulted in their payment of US$1 million to a private firm, Kroll and Associates.

The Auditor-General, Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo has concluded that Kroll and Associates was paid for no work done, following what he said was the persistent failure of the Senior Minister to provide proof of actual work done.

The Auditor-General has consequently Disallowed the payment of the US$1million to Kroll and Associates, which the government, through the Ministry of Finance paid.

Mr Domelevo has also Surcharged the Senior Minister, Mr Osafo Maafo and the four other officials from the Ministry of Finance.

The government on September 26, 2017, signed a contract with Kroll Associates for some professional services.

The contract was signed on behalf of the government by Mr Yaw Osafo Maafo, the Senior Minister, and was to take effect from February 2017.

The appellants are arguing that the basis of their appeal was that the findings by the Auditor General violates their rights to fair hearing in contravention of Section 29 of Act 584 of Article 23 and 296 of the constitution since the Auditor General failed to serve the first appellant [Yaw Osafo Maafo] with any audit observations containing any breaches by him before proceeding to issue the notice of intention to Disallow or Surcharge.

They go ahead to argue that the Auditor General acted "unreasonably, capriciously and maliciously" towards all the appellants in blatant violation of his duty as a public officer when he refused to inspect and study the evidence of work done by Kroll Associates UK Limited.