Auditor-General of Ghana wins Integrity Personality of 2019 award

The Ghana Integrity Initiative, the local chapter of Transparency International, held their first Integrity Awards Ceremony in December 2019. During this prestigious event, the Auditor General of Ghana, Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo, was named the Integrity Personality for 2019.

The Integrity Awards seek to recognise the efforts of outstanding individuals and public sector institutions that are making significant contribution to the fight against corruption in the country.

Mr Domelevo was one of five individuals nominated for the award, shortlisted from a pool of nominees received from the general public via the Ghana Integrity Award website.

In the receiving the award, the AG was presented with a citation that read in part: “As Auditor-General, you have … broken the culture of impunity in the public service. You welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on your disallowance and surcharge mandate. Between June 2017 and November 2018, the Ghana Audit Service under your leadership issued 112 surcharge certificates and recovered a total amount of GHS 67,315,066.12 into government chest.  This achievement has inspired other Supreme Audit Institutions in African countries to pass similar legislation on disallowance and surcharges”.

Receiving his award, Mr Domelevo said that “I am quite humbled this evening”. The AG reiterated his conviction that anyone who fights corruption well would be acknowledged. He dedicated the award to his family and the staff of the Service.

Present at the ceremony were the Ambassador of Denmark to Ghana, H. E. Tove Degnbol, the Deputy Attorney-General, Hon. Godfred Odame, the Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mr. Joseph Whittal, Transparency International Regional Advisor for West Africa, Mr Samuel Kaninda, management staff of the Ghana Audit Service and other senior public servants.