BY Issah Olegor
Former Auditor-General, Daniel Yaw Domelovo, has officially returned to public service as the newly appointed Board Chairman of the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), marking a significant comeback after his dramatic exit from office under the Akufo-Addo administration.
Daniel Domelovo’s appointment has been widely received as a strong statement in the fight against corruption, given his track record as an anti-graft crusader whose tenure was abruptly cut short by political interference and alleged falsification of age.
Supreme Court Vindication
In May 2023, the Supreme Court declared as unconstitutional President Akufo-Addo’s 2020 directive that compelled Domelovo to proceed on 169 working days of accumulated leave.
The ruling followed a suit filed by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) and eight other civil society organizations, who argued that the presidential directive undermined the constitutional independence of the Auditor-General’s office.
The case, filed in October 2020, came after several appeals for the President to rescind the directive went unheeded.
After nearly two years of hearings, Ghana’s apex court ruled in favour of the applicants, vindicating Domelovo and describing the directive as unlawful and inconsistent with the constitutional framework.
The Forced Leave Saga
In June 2020, President Akufo-Addo instructed Domelovo to take his accumulated leave and hand over duties to his deputy, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu.
The directive came on the heels of Domelovo’s audit findings implicating then-Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Maafo and other Finance Ministry officials in breaches of procurement laws that led to a controversial $1 million payment to UK firm, Kroll and Associates.
The Auditor-General had surcharged Osafo Maafo, who in turn challenged the decision in court, accusing Daniel Domelovo of professional and legal errors. At the height of the standoff, Daniel Domelovo was cited for contempt for failing to respond to the court case promptly—a ruling many civil society actors described as part of a coordinated effort to silence him.
Daniel Domelovo, in a strongly worded response to the Presidency, described the leave directive as unconstitutional and taken in bad faith.
He argued that the move compromised the independence of his office, especially since other presidential appointees had not taken their accumulated leave.
Role in Mahama’s Anti-Corruption Agenda
Daniel Domelovo’s anti-corruption credentials remained intact even after leaving office.
In December 2024, President-elect John Dramani Mahama named him as part of a five-member task force to spearhead the National Democratic Congress’ “Operation Recover All Loot” (ORAL).
The programme, a major campaign promise, was designed to reclaim state resources allegedly lost through corruption and mismanagement under the Akufo-Addo administration.
The ORAL team, chaired by North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, also included private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu, retired police officer COP Nathaniel Kofi Boakye, and investigative journalist Raymond Archer who is now heading EOCO.
A New Chapter at EOCO
With his appointment as EOCO Board Chairman, Domelovo is returning to the centre of Ghana’s accountability architecture.
EOCO, tasked with investigating economic crimes such as money laundering, tax fraud, cybercrime, and financial malfeasance, plays a crucial role in protecting the state from organized corruption.
Observers believe his appointment signals a renewed political will to strengthen anti-graft institutions and restore public confidence in accountability systems. For Domelovo himself, the role offers a chance to continue the work he was prematurely stopped from doing as Auditor-General.
