By Ernest Nutsugah/ Christopher Arko
Accra, Jan. 31, GNA – Mr. Yao Domelevo, former Auditor‑General, has commended the government for prudent economic management, which he said was in the right direction.
He expressed satisfaction with economic indicators, including increasing Gross Domestic Product (GDP), low inflation, strong exchange rate, and declining interest rate.
Mr. Yao Domelevo made the remarks in Accra when he addressed the media on President John Mahama’s one year in office following the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) victory in the 2024 election and return to power on January 7, 2025.
He praised the government’s approach to tackling corruption but raised concern about the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative, which he believed was progressing slowly.
“One of the happiness I have so far is that we have gone a full year and we have not heard of any scandal or any issue of corruption happening in the country. I think that is commendable, and I hope and pray that we are able to keep it till the end of the tenure of the President.
“My major concern about the ORAL is that it is not going to be successful if we keep or maintain the same legal framework and institutional arrangements for fighting corruption and corruption‑related issues,” he stated.
Mr. Domelevo called for changes in the country’s legal framework to fast‑track prosecution of persons suspected of committing financial crimes, suggesting that the burden of proof should be shifted from state prosecutors.
He said that designated time frames should be set for prosecuting financial crimes, as the current framework delayed trials.
“Financial crimes are not easy to be proven beyond reasonable doubt because the perpetrators of such crimes are intelligent and sophisticated…
“Once it can be established that someone is in possession of resources or assets that do match his sources of income, then the onus should shift from the prosecution to the accused person,” he said, adding that the current legal dispensation tended to favour persons accused of embezzling state resources.
Mr. Domelevo also observed that lifestyle audits focusing on unexplained wealth could deter those intending to steal state resources and compel offenders to refund stolen money.
He maintained that stolen state funds should be recovered with interest when accused persons were found guilty.
“ORAL was used during the 2024 election, and we must keep it hot such that the public will not lose confidence… If you take 10 million, we take 15 million from you; at least we must get something more from you.
“And all these cannot be done if we maintain the current legal framework… The recovery of the loot is very important but not as important as preventing the loot,” he noted.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
